Vintage French bar cart w/ smoked glass and spoked wheels

A delightful french vintage bar cart in gilt metal with two smoked black glass shelves and a refined X-form frame. Each tray has a pierced beaded gallery, the upper with a tubular push handle capped by ball finials. The cart rides on dramatic large spoked front wheels with rubber tires and petite rear castors, with three bottle rings on the lower shelf and two small hoops at the front for a towel or bar tools. Very good condition with light timeworn patina to the gilded finish and faint surface marks to the glass, rolling smoothly.

This type of drinks trolley emerged from postwar French entertaining culture, where compact mobile service pieces complemented smaller apartments and salon living. Gilt-metal frames with smoked verre and neoclassical details such as pierced galleries and spoked wheels were championed by Parisian maisons, notably Baguès and Jansen, whose savoir-faire set the tone for Hollywood Regency elegance across Europe and the United States. The integrated bottle rings and towel hoops reflect practical bar service inherited from earlier tea trolleys while retaining a sleek mid-century profile.

In a living room or library, it serves as a handsome mobile bar styled with an ice bucket, cut-crystal decanters, and vintage stemware. It also works beside a sofa as a moveable side table for flowers and books, or in a dining room to stage aperitifs and digestifs. Its warm gilt finish pairs well with deep woods, lacquer, or marble, bringing a quiet note of French glamour without overwhelming the space.

Light wear.
Approx. overall 32¼" high x 32¼" long incl. wheels x 22¾" wide. Trays measure 24¾" long
Approx. overall 82cm high x 82cm long incl. wheels x 58cm wide. Trays measure 63cm long