Cedar? with marquetry of rosewood, other woods and bone, the drawers of oak

Rectangular unit of drawers. The unit contains three drawers, two above with a divider between and a single wide drawer below, under a dustboard. The lower drawer originally with a single, centred handle (or simply a key-hole, later patched). The leading edges of the boards and dustboard bordered with a simple, torus moulding. nailed in place (probably added). The top, sides and drawer fronts with marquetry panels of walnut(?), other woods (probably including boxwood), and bone (?), some engraved, the lines filled with a black composition, and some shaded by singeing; small round pegs in the design seem to fulifl an additional role of helping to fix the marquetry panels. The top with a central cartouche surrounded by stylised flowers on leafy stems including carnations, set within a wide rectangular border with two baskets and stylised flowers on leafy stems. The matching sides with two symmetrical panels, each showing a vase in classical style decorated with three masks and gadrooning, from which extend numerous stylised flowers on leafy stems, two birds perching with wings extended on a scrolling stem. The drawer fronts each with a basket from which extends stylised flowers on leafy stems. The back is missing marquetry decoration but shows shallow cut-outs and the remains of pegs, for a matching marquetry scheme of scrolling flowers on leafy stems. The bottom plain (split and with a replacement section), the grain running front to back. All three drawers fitted with a nailed steel(?) lock, possibly original.

Construction
The sides and back boards dovetailed (possibly cedar), the top and bottom each a single board, now split (walnut) which meets the sides at a shallow rebate and held with small wooden pegs angled diagonally. The drawers are of dovetail construction with oak sides, backs and bottoms (grained front to back), with metal pins up through the bottoms into the backs and drawer fronts. Each drawer fitted with an iron lock, possibly of late 17th or early 18th century date, with crude holes in the cabinet carcase to receive the bolts.

Modifications
Some marquetry missing especially at the corners. Now missing four feet. The turned knob handle on each drawer apparently added, as evidenced by patches over the keyholes. The dustboard with a large hole towards the back, possibly the result of tear-out during construction of the board. At the front dovetailing of the three drawers there is bruising, suggesting that the drawers might have been rebuilt. The current construction of the drawers would seem to indicate a date after c1700. The locks possibly added. Torus mouldings probably added.

Bought for £12 from Arthur Edwards, 59-61 Wigmore Street, London 'wormeaten, worn; portions missing' (RF 1910/4154M)

H. Clifford Smith (see References) placed this table cabinet within a group of similar boxes and cabinets with drawers as being English and dating to about 1550-1560. Unlike English woodwork of the later 16th century with simple inlays, or architectural inlay scenes of a Germanic character he suggested that the group shows Spanish influence, especially in the use of rosewood or cedar veneers and the delicate, extended scrolling stems and cartouches.

Although this small unit of drawers was acquired as English, 16th century, it is now considered Portuguese, probably 17th century. Similar, intricate inlay using a mix of indigenous and imported woods including Brazilian rosewood, is found on Portuguese cabinets made from about 1550.

W.56-1910