Cabinet on Stand thumbnail 1
Cabinet on Stand thumbnail 2
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Cabinet on Stand

1680-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Within this cabinet are twelve drawers, making it convenient for the storage of documents or small valuables. A further seven narrow trays are cleverly concealed behind the drawers, providing additional security to its owner. The cabinet can be lifted off its stand (which also contains a large drawer), and moved if necessary, using two substantial handles fixed to the sides. The form of this cabinet on stand, and the arrangement of its internal drawers, were probably inspired by larger veneered cabinets lavishly decorated with marquetry or lacquer. This is a relatively plain piece, however, made of oak and decorated with oak mouldings and a single ornamentel star of bone inlay.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 15 parts.

  • Cabinet
  • Stand
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
  • Drawer
Materials and techniques
Oak and softwood, with bone inlay, and metal handles, locks and hinges
Brief description
Cabinet on stand, oak, England, 1680-1700
Physical description
Oak cabinet containing 12 drawers behind a single hinged door with geometric mouldings, on a low joined oak stand with drawer, on turned legs.

The cabinet top a single plank of oak (9mm) with a moulded edge over an applied cavetto moulding.
The single door (hinged at PL) is held on two iron strap hinges; on the front a raised octagonal design formed by mitred mouldings, centred on a hexagonal boss containing a 12 pointed inlaid star of bone (white and stained green) in oak matrix; with a brass escutcheon (but no key); the PR front edge missing a strip of beading. The back is formed by one large and one single narrow sheet of softwood, nailed on. Down the right side of the door a vertical length of modern convex moulding has been added. The interior of the cabinet is fitted with oak dust boards (with torus mouldings) dividing 12 drawers (four small above in a line, two each side flanking a large over a smaller central, and two large drawers below).
1 2 3 4
5 7 9
6 8 10
11 12

All the drawer fronts with applied oak mouldings, and with a brass swallow-tail pull and flower-head back plate, held on a split ring. The drawers constructed with oak sides and fronts, on softwood bottoms and backs, nailed construction (no dovetails). With 7 concealed trays (nailed softwood boards, with leather pulls) behind short drawers 2,3,7,5,6,9,10. The dustboards and drawer dividers are each of oak and softwood (with one replaced, apparently in mahogany). The cabinet base is made of oak boards, and has three mitred locating battens (of softwood?). The oak sides each have a carrying handle on backplate of iron held with nails.

The stand has panelled sides (with applied, mitred framing mouldings) and moulded 'cornice'. It contains one large drawer (with lock and brass escutcheon) and stands on bobbin turned legs and bun feet joined by an H-form rectangular stretcher with scratch-moulded upper edges. The rear rail has been replaced using softwood.

Construction
Oak and softwood. The drawer with oak sides nailed to the front and back, the softwood bottom boards run front to back.
Dimensions
  • Height: 98.7cm
  • Width: 63.5cm
  • Depth: 40cm
Cabinet without stand 5 52.5 x 56.2 x 36.5cm; stand 45.5h x 63.5w x 40d
Object history
Bought for £33 from Messrs Story & Co. Ltd., Kensington High Street, London W.8 (RP23/1779). Key written off 33/4654. No further information on RF

On long-term loan to Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (Elizabethan House), ca. 1951 - 2015.

See Chinnery pp.332-5 for broadly similar (but usually smaller) mural spice-cupboards, and pp.329-332 on spice cupboards generally.
Subject depicted
Summary
Within this cabinet are twelve drawers, making it convenient for the storage of documents or small valuables. A further seven narrow trays are cleverly concealed behind the drawers, providing additional security to its owner. The cabinet can be lifted off its stand (which also contains a large drawer), and moved if necessary, using two substantial handles fixed to the sides. The form of this cabinet on stand, and the arrangement of its internal drawers, were probably inspired by larger veneered cabinets lavishly decorated with marquetry or lacquer. This is a relatively plain piece, however, made of oak and decorated with oak mouldings and a single ornamentel star of bone inlay.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.226:1 to 15-1923

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Record createdJanuary 29, 2007
Record URL
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