A French wire dish rack -- an egouttoir, the classic kitchen draining and drying stand found in French homes for generations -- presented here in its two-tier form and finished in a warm cream-white painted metal. The lower tier is a proper plate rack, with evenly spaced vertical wire dividers rising above a shallow mesh drip tray, while the upper basket is divided at center and framed by a charming scrolled crest of looped metalwork -- the kind of decorative flourish that turns a workaday kitchen object into something worth keeping on a countertop or open shelf. Pieces like this were everyday fixtures in French country kitchens through the mid-twentieth century, practical in form yet made with enough craft to outlast their original purpose.
The graphic quality of the wire construction, the repeating looped border trim along each tier, and the arched scrollwork backplate give it a presence that reads well in farmhouse and French country kitchens alike, and equally as a bathroom organizer, craft room shelf or display stand for small plants and bottles. The two-section upper basket is handy for sorting; the lower plate dividers can hold cutting boards, magazine files or artist canvases just as happily as plates.
Condition and patina consistent with age. The piece carries light surface wear and some paint rubbing at contact points visible in the close-up photos, which adds to its honest brocante character. Note that the drip tray does not sit perfectly flat.
Approx. 13 in wide x 13 in deep x 18.7 in tall (33 x 33.5 x 47.5 cm).
