French antique gridded wooden floor panels

This week, we just have to share our unique discovery of mid-18th century wooden floor grids from a traditional Parisian goldsmith atelier. These wooden panels used to be very common in such workshops and served as grates to scrape any valuable metal dust from the soles of the goldsmith’s shoes and to prevent gemstones from bouncing all over the floor if they were dropped on the ground. By lifting the panels every now and then, the floor could be swept and lost valuables could be recollected.

Here at Adin, we feel it’s only right to upgrade such unique wooden traces of goldsmithing history from being just a part of the floor to an educational ornament in our boutique. The picture above shows that the wooden grid can be a perfect pedestal for this magnificent diamond-encrusted and enameled ring from the same era. Who knows, maybe the ring and the grid are old acquaintances reconnecting again at Adin.

The pictures below show several antique wooden goldsmith floor panels as well as etchings that illustrate what traditional goldsmith workshops looked like with floors covered by such grates. As these antique floor covers don’t seem inviting for high heels and we wish to welcome gents as well as ladies at Adin, we will give the panels another spot in the limelight.

P.S.: In Dutch, this type of flooring has a specific name ("horten"), but we’re not familiar with the English term. Suggestions and more information are always welcome.

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