Freestanding Vitrine 400mm by 400mm by 1600mm High with a Gallery White Lacquer Base

A full height glass case on a gallery white lacquer base, sized for a tall narrow case for a single figure or a vessel, which is the shape people underestimate and then wish they had bought.

A vitrine is a box that has to disappear. Everything we do to one is aimed at that: low iron glass because ordinary float glass has a green cast that shows on every edge, mitred and polished glass corners rather than an aluminium post, and a base sized so the glass sits proud of it rather than inside a visible rebate. The unglamorous half is the part that keeps the object safe. Dust gets in through the base, not the top, so every case here has a gasketed base and a felt sealed door, which is the single biggest thing you can do for anything that has to stay clean for ten years.

Specification

• Dimensions: 400mm wide by 400mm deep by 1600mm high overall
• Display surface: internal display area 380mm by 380mm by 760mm high
• Construction: welded steel armature inside a gallery white lacquer base, glass mitred and polished at every vertical corner
• Finish: 18mm moisture resistant MDF sprayed in a two pack polyurethane to RAL 9010, which is the white almost every gallery in the country paints its walls
• Load rating: 130kg on the deck, 15kg per glass shelf
• Levelling: four M10 levelling feet with 20mm of travel, recessed so nothing shows and nothing catches a toe
• Security: hinged door with a concealed lock, keyed alike across an order
• Delivery: crated, kerbside on a pallet unless you book the two person service, which we recommend
• Weight: approximately 56.0 kilograms
• Glass: 6mm, mitred and polished, choose the specification at order
• Dust: gasketed base and a felt sealed door, which is what keeps it clean
• Door: hinged on the long side, opening 100 degrees, needs 500mm of swing
• Shelves: one glass deck included, extra shelves available
• Cable entry: a grommet in the base for a lighting or humidity lead
• Base height: 800mm, which is the standard for a case of this size

What you get

• The base, flat packed, with a welded steel armature
• The glass case, assembled in its own crate
• One glass deck shelf
• A concealed lock with two keys
• Levelling feet, gaskets and a cable grommet
• A hex key, a spanner and printed instructions

Setting it up

The base arrives flat packed and the glass arrives assembled in its own crate. Build and level the base first, then two people lift the glass on. Do not lift a glass case by the top rail. The gasket seats itself under the weight of the glass, so leave it for an hour before you load the case and check the door line again after a day.

Specifying it

Size the case to the object plus the space around it rather than to the object. A rule that works well is a clear 100mm at the sides and 150mm above for anything under half a metre, and more for anything a visitor will walk around. Think about the door before you buy: a hinged door needs swing space and a lift off top needs two people and somewhere to put a large piece of glass. If the case will hold anything light sensitive, take the UV filtering glass, and keep the light level at 50 lux for works on paper and textiles and 150 lux for oil, wood and most other things.