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On the art market, the term Aachen-Liege stands for 18th century oak wood furniture decorated purely with wood carving. The classic example of Aachen-Liege furniture is the glass cabinet, a two-storey structure with two doors in the lower section, frieze drawers and two gazed doors in the upper section. There are of course other types and variants ranging from escritoires, commodes, corner cabinets and wardrobes through to unique pieces combining for example a commode and a pendulum clock. A splendid example of such “combination furniture” is on display on the first floor of the Couven Museum in the Small Salon.

There are several characteristic features that allow us to tell the difference between Rococo cabinet furniture from Aachen and from Liege.  Aachen glass cabinets are made as a single piece, while the Liege equivalents consist of a commode with a glazed display cabinet mounted on it. Liege furniture is decorated with richer and more masterly carving. Aachen cabinets have the characteristic “Aachen Nose”, a small pointed bevel on each side of the curved top cornice. Another unique feature of Aachen Rococo furniture is a bean-shaped interior mirror in the rocaille, an example of which can be seen on the ground floor in the carved wooden panelling of the fireplace in the Courtyard Room.