Child's Etagere?

I have a terrible time with posting photos on this site, but I'm not sure it's necessary this time.

Anyway, the subject is children's etageres. It seems like a contradiction; after all, how many children in the 1860s and 70s had such nice things that they had to have an etagere on which to display them?  But I am now convinced the form exists, since I bought one a few weeks ago at an auction here in Missouri. Has anyone else ever seen one? 

I judge mine to have been made ca. 1865. It's early Ren Rev, with a hint of Rococo in the pierced back and sidesplashes on the top shelf. It's made of mahogany and mahogany veneer. There is a small drawer underneath the bottom shelf, with a round metal pull. The drawer is solid mahogany, including the sides and back. Interestingly, there is no dovetailing; instead the sides appear to fit into the front in a slot held together with nails. The nails appear to have irregularly-shaped heads, some with a crisscross pattern, but I have not pulled one out to look for squaring.

The kicker is that it's only 4 feet tall, with three shelves and no back. The shelves are pretty wide and deep, with pierced supports on each side showing some hand incising. Its got its original dark finish showing some subtle patina.

This is definitely NOT a salesman's sample, nor is it a bookcase. To tell you the truth, I was not positive about exactly what it was until after I bought it. I was only sure that it would make a great display unit for my wife's Beatrix Potter figurine collection :)

Does anyone else have any experience with this unusual form?

Hmmmm, guess not. ;)

How do you know it isn't a salesmans sample?

At 4 feet tall and 20-30 pounds, it's too cumbersome to carry around easily, especially on a horse, as it would have been in the 1860s. Assuming the salesman was traveling, of course.

From my conversations with dealers, I believe that a salesman's sample would have been smaller.

Update: I just happened to spot this old topic. I think the term for this article is a "whatnot," a kind of small etagere.

We live and we learn!