Cabinet for moulding planes

This cabinet holds a set of 132 moulding planes. A joiner made it for his own tools, fitting the shelves with strips corresponding to the profiles the planes cut in wood. Each tool had its own place. The arrangement therefore reflected the different shapes produced during woodworking, rather than simply the size of the tools.

Planes of this kind were used to make and decorate furniture, window cornices, windows, doors and picture frames. The set represents a workshop supplying both homes and public interiors. Different tools produced different cross-sections on strips and edges. Their profiles formed part of the finished object's design, visible in its detailing.

The tool cabinet belongs to the equipment of a traditional joiner's workshop. It was not intended for clothes or crockery: its interior organised the craftsman's work. The placement of the planes is its defining feature. Looking at the shelves, you can compare the number of tools with the variety of details that had to be made by hand.