Bathtub or steam bath in cane wood

18th Century

Carved wood and caning by hand, fabric, copper (basin)

Length 142 cm; height 107 cm; width 63 cm

 

Château de Chamerolles, 18th Century Bedroom, Promenade des Parfums

This caned bathtub with twisted wooden mouldings illustrates the refinement of the 18th century: it is fashionable for that time and includes its emblematic shapes. It shows the visitors to the château several new trends of 18th century. On one hand, baths are slowly reappearing in the wealthiest households after nearly a century of abhorrence of water, and especially of complete immersion in hot water. Water can be made milky to respect the privacy of the bather, as at this time it was permissible to receive guests while in the bath. On the other hand caning, a technique involving braiding of flexible rods, is also of interest: furniture is no longer necessarily made of solid wood and becomes lighter and therefore more mobile in the rooms. Indeed, bathtubs are often moved and sometimes hired out. Finally, this bathtub is rare even among the few known examples of caned bathtubs, as it has a removable three-sectioned tray, demonstrating its great versatility. One, two or three of the trays can be removed to take a bath, a foot bath or even a steam bath by positioning oneself on the cane tray.