This corner cupboard has regional characteristics commonly found in Cornish glazed cupboards, including the use in the glazing pattern of a central elongated diamond or lozenge shape, surrounded by rectangular panes and with small square panes in the corners. The glazing is all clear glass, but other examples have been recorded with the square corner panes being glazed with etched glass, in the manner of some 19th century house doors.
Cornish cottage furniture is typically made of painted pine, and often uses polychrome designs. In this case, the red lead paint over-all is embellished with gold lines, and the interior is painted yellow. Unusually, a board at the top of the cupboard is painted decoratively with a scene depicting a church, surrounded by a turbulent sea. Research suggests that this is not a specific parish church, but rather is a composite of elements found in Cornish churches in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Dr Joanna Mattingly, Honorary Research Fellow of the Institute of Cornish Studies has suggested that the design of the church may suggest a provenance to West Cornwall, possibly Penzance, Redruth, Penryn, or the Helston area.

Dr B.D. Cotton. October 2000.