Cabinet
1690-1700 (made)
| Place of origin |
Cabinet with an outer case covered with black lacquer and enriched with gilded designs, on an ebonized and elaborately carved stand with cabriole legs. The interior drawers, cupboard doors and the two panels inside the large outer doors are decorated with applied architectural ornament. The whole rests on an openwork stand of carved pine. The interior (except for the bottom drawer), and the two panels in the doors formed a complete cabinet of South German work. The outer case, the bottom drawer, the extra pieces of the doors, and the stand were added in England about 1690. The brass mounts also belong to the latter period.
The design on the outside of each of the large doors consists of a panel containing figures, buildings and trees, outlined by a border of zig-zag ornament. Inside they are each decorated with a panel filled in with an architectural design surrounded by a lacquered border. On the doors are a brass lock plate in two parts, eight angle-pieces and ten hinges elaborately chased and pierced with leafy scrolls. The interior is fitted with two cupboards and twenty-nine drawers, nine of the latter being hidden behind a sliding shutter. The bottom drawer is lacquered with a Chinese figure, a building, flowering plants and birds. The rest of the drawers and the two cupboards doors are decorated with architectural ornament, including some composite wood- shavings to simulate marble, a 16th century German technique called Spänemarmor, ('shavings-marble'). The stand is boldly carved with children and cherubs’ heads amid floral scrollwork and shells.
Detailed description
A 17c German marquetry cabinet, enlarged and veneered on the sides and two side-hinged doors with English japanned work c1700. Japanned surfaces. The japanned surfaces appear to be very thin veneers that have been reused since some designs have been trimmed and a silver border applied over the top of some details. The German cabinet has been extended downwards by 17cm to contain a breakfront drawer, moulded base, and with a cornice added at the top. Two oak slides for the drawer have been glued inside base, and on each side is a nailed batten, presumed to prevent lateral movement of the drawer. The original size of the doors is suggested by ‘shadow’ lines under the japanned veneers, and appear originally to have featured an arch design at the top on the outside) have been extended top and bottom beyond their original height (59.5cm) with a 9cm high strip, and with a vertical strip 3cm wide to their inner edges. The original German cabinet back appears to be intact but has been painted black, and consists of horizontal softwood boards (possibly veneered with oak) pegged in place. Still visible is an inlay design of two rectangular ‘frames’ separated by a vertical strip.
Design of the cabinet interior
The cabinet is arranged in five tiers, the bottom tier being a single large drawer with double breakfront, veneered with japanned designs. All the drawers are of softwood, with dovetailed construction, the bottoms glued up. Some drawer bottoms appear to have a veneer of ash(?) on their inside but this may be a characteristic figure of the softwood used. All the drawers have a (larger drawers two) brassy baluster form knob (some apparently replacement).
Top tier: three drawers (two wide, flanking a narrow) with high relief walnut fronts of applied scrolls, vases, balusters and strapwork. [4-6]
Second tier: five shallow ‘stringcourse’ drawers of three widths, the fronts decorated with inlay of marbled composition, circles and jewelled bosses. [7-11]
Third tier: five pedimented aedicules separated by four fluted columns; the three drawer front aedicules contain a complex baluster vase while the two cupboard doors, held on cranked hinges, are blank. Each of the two cupboard doors has two columns and opens on a compartment veneered on the walls and floor with quartered oak and a central panel of ash framed with a bead and reel motif, the back of the door veneered in ash. Each door is hung on two tinned steel hinges and has had its lock removed. At the left and right is a column of three drawers of varying heights with high relief fronts, and one shallow drawer below with marbled composition. In the centre is a sliding panel of high relief (aedicule and pediment) with a plinth of marbled composite, which reveals two small, deep drawers with ash veneer front and walnut mouldings (and behind, a secret compartment of plain softwood attached to the vertical drawer divider which serves as a handle by means of a sliding dovetail); positioned below these two drawers and secret unit is a removeable softwood nest of seven drawers with fronts of ash veneer and walnut mouldings: three front-opening drawers of ¾ depth, and four short drawers opening laterally from the PL side at the back (one missing its knob and with decayed mouldings).
Part numbered as follows: 12-14 drawers with high relief, left side (top, middle, bottom)
15 shallow drawer, left side bottom
16 panel with high relief, centre
17 drawer, centre top (left)
18 secret tray with extended drawer divider handle, centre top, behind two drawers
19 drawer, centre top (right)
20 removeable nest behind sliding panel, centre
21-23 drawers (top, middle, bottom) from removeable nest, front facing
24-27 drawers (top, second from top, third from top, bottom) from removeable nest, side facing
28, 29, 30 drawers with high relief, right side (top, middle, bottom)
31 shallow drawer with marquetry, left side bottom
Fourth tier: three drawers two narrow drawers flanking one wide with breakfront; the two narrow drawers have high relief fronts with scrolls, buttons and inlay border; the wide drawer front has two projecting sections with marbled composite which flank a recessed middle section with high relief scrolls, buttons and inlay border (thus matching the narrow lateral drawers on this tier). Each projecting section of the wide drawer front has been blocked out to contain two deep removeable trays of plain oak (four in total); each pair was probably concealed under a sliding lid (missing) held by grooves in the drawers front that have been partially removed. Cut into the dust board under the fourth tier is a loose lid with integral pin hinges, accessed by a finger nail notch, which reveals a nailed softwood unit underneath the dustboard which contains two loose softwood trays.
32 and 34 drawers with high relief front, fourth tier, left/right
33:1 drawer with double breakfront, centre
33:2-5 four oak trays concealed in drawer front with double breakfront, centre
35 loose lid to hidden trays in dustboard under fourth tier
36, 37 loose trays (left, right) from unit under dustboard under fourth tier
Fifth tier: a single large drawer with double breakfront veneered with five japanned scenes; the drawer is dovetailed oak with three bottom boards which are grained front to back, and glued into rebates in the drawer sides (and pinned from the back); inside the drawer sides are stained red, and the bottom a powdered gold finish. [38]
The design on the outside of each of the large doors consists of a panel containing figures, buildings and trees, outlined by a border of zig-zag ornament. Inside they are each decorated with a panel filled in with an architectural design surrounded by a lacquered border. On the doors are a brass lock plate in two parts, eight angle-pieces and ten hinges elaborately chased and pierced with leafy scrolls. The interior is fitted with two cupboards and twenty-nine drawers, nine of the latter being hidden behind a sliding shutter. The bottom drawer is lacquered with a Chinese figure, a building, flowering plants and birds. The rest of the drawers and the two cupboards doors are decorated with architectural ornament, including some composite wood- shavings to simulate marble, a 16th century German technique called Spänemarmor, ('shavings-marble'). The stand is boldly carved with children and cherubs’ heads amid floral scrollwork and shells.
Detailed description
A 17c German marquetry cabinet, enlarged and veneered on the sides and two side-hinged doors with English japanned work c1700. Japanned surfaces. The japanned surfaces appear to be very thin veneers that have been reused since some designs have been trimmed and a silver border applied over the top of some details. The German cabinet has been extended downwards by 17cm to contain a breakfront drawer, moulded base, and with a cornice added at the top. Two oak slides for the drawer have been glued inside base, and on each side is a nailed batten, presumed to prevent lateral movement of the drawer. The original size of the doors is suggested by ‘shadow’ lines under the japanned veneers, and appear originally to have featured an arch design at the top on the outside) have been extended top and bottom beyond their original height (59.5cm) with a 9cm high strip, and with a vertical strip 3cm wide to their inner edges. The original German cabinet back appears to be intact but has been painted black, and consists of horizontal softwood boards (possibly veneered with oak) pegged in place. Still visible is an inlay design of two rectangular ‘frames’ separated by a vertical strip.
Design of the cabinet interior
The cabinet is arranged in five tiers, the bottom tier being a single large drawer with double breakfront, veneered with japanned designs. All the drawers are of softwood, with dovetailed construction, the bottoms glued up. Some drawer bottoms appear to have a veneer of ash(?) on their inside but this may be a characteristic figure of the softwood used. All the drawers have a (larger drawers two) brassy baluster form knob (some apparently replacement).
Top tier: three drawers (two wide, flanking a narrow) with high relief walnut fronts of applied scrolls, vases, balusters and strapwork. [4-6]
Second tier: five shallow ‘stringcourse’ drawers of three widths, the fronts decorated with inlay of marbled composition, circles and jewelled bosses. [7-11]
Third tier: five pedimented aedicules separated by four fluted columns; the three drawer front aedicules contain a complex baluster vase while the two cupboard doors, held on cranked hinges, are blank. Each of the two cupboard doors has two columns and opens on a compartment veneered on the walls and floor with quartered oak and a central panel of ash framed with a bead and reel motif, the back of the door veneered in ash. Each door is hung on two tinned steel hinges and has had its lock removed. At the left and right is a column of three drawers of varying heights with high relief fronts, and one shallow drawer below with marbled composition. In the centre is a sliding panel of high relief (aedicule and pediment) with a plinth of marbled composite, which reveals two small, deep drawers with ash veneer front and walnut mouldings (and behind, a secret compartment of plain softwood attached to the vertical drawer divider which serves as a handle by means of a sliding dovetail); positioned below these two drawers and secret unit is a removeable softwood nest of seven drawers with fronts of ash veneer and walnut mouldings: three front-opening drawers of ¾ depth, and four short drawers opening laterally from the PL side at the back (one missing its knob and with decayed mouldings).
Part numbered as follows: 12-14 drawers with high relief, left side (top, middle, bottom)
15 shallow drawer, left side bottom
16 panel with high relief, centre
17 drawer, centre top (left)
18 secret tray with extended drawer divider handle, centre top, behind two drawers
19 drawer, centre top (right)
20 removeable nest behind sliding panel, centre
21-23 drawers (top, middle, bottom) from removeable nest, front facing
24-27 drawers (top, second from top, third from top, bottom) from removeable nest, side facing
28, 29, 30 drawers with high relief, right side (top, middle, bottom)
31 shallow drawer with marquetry, left side bottom
Fourth tier: three drawers two narrow drawers flanking one wide with breakfront; the two narrow drawers have high relief fronts with scrolls, buttons and inlay border; the wide drawer front has two projecting sections with marbled composite which flank a recessed middle section with high relief scrolls, buttons and inlay border (thus matching the narrow lateral drawers on this tier). Each projecting section of the wide drawer front has been blocked out to contain two deep removeable trays of plain oak (four in total); each pair was probably concealed under a sliding lid (missing) held by grooves in the drawers front that have been partially removed. Cut into the dust board under the fourth tier is a loose lid with integral pin hinges, accessed by a finger nail notch, which reveals a nailed softwood unit underneath the dustboard which contains two loose softwood trays.
32 and 34 drawers with high relief front, fourth tier, left/right
33:1 drawer with double breakfront, centre
33:2-5 four oak trays concealed in drawer front with double breakfront, centre
35 loose lid to hidden trays in dustboard under fourth tier
36, 37 loose trays (left, right) from unit under dustboard under fourth tier
Fifth tier: a single large drawer with double breakfront veneered with five japanned scenes; the drawer is dovetailed oak with three bottom boards which are grained front to back, and glued into rebates in the drawer sides (and pinned from the back); inside the drawer sides are stained red, and the bottom a powdered gold finish. [38]
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 42 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Materials and techniques | Cabinet carcase of pine and oak, veneered with Hungarian ash and walnut, and with marbled wood composite; the sides, top and doors are covered with black lacquer, enriched with gilding. The drawers, cupboard doors and the two panels inside the large outer doors are decorated with in walnut and other woods. The mounts are brass. |
| Brief description | Cabinet, japanned cabinet case c1700 (English) containing South-German Cabinet interior c1625 |
| Physical description | Cabinet with an outer case covered with black lacquer and enriched with gilded designs, on an ebonized and elaborately carved stand with cabriole legs. The interior drawers, cupboard doors and the two panels inside the large outer doors are decorated with applied architectural ornament. The whole rests on an openwork stand of carved pine. The interior (except for the bottom drawer), and the two panels in the doors formed a complete cabinet of South German work. The outer case, the bottom drawer, the extra pieces of the doors, and the stand were added in England about 1690. The brass mounts also belong to the latter period. The design on the outside of each of the large doors consists of a panel containing figures, buildings and trees, outlined by a border of zig-zag ornament. Inside they are each decorated with a panel filled in with an architectural design surrounded by a lacquered border. On the doors are a brass lock plate in two parts, eight angle-pieces and ten hinges elaborately chased and pierced with leafy scrolls. The interior is fitted with two cupboards and twenty-nine drawers, nine of the latter being hidden behind a sliding shutter. The bottom drawer is lacquered with a Chinese figure, a building, flowering plants and birds. The rest of the drawers and the two cupboards doors are decorated with architectural ornament, including some composite wood- shavings to simulate marble, a 16th century German technique called Spänemarmor, ('shavings-marble'). The stand is boldly carved with children and cherubs’ heads amid floral scrollwork and shells. Detailed description A 17c German marquetry cabinet, enlarged and veneered on the sides and two side-hinged doors with English japanned work c1700. Japanned surfaces. The japanned surfaces appear to be very thin veneers that have been reused since some designs have been trimmed and a silver border applied over the top of some details. The German cabinet has been extended downwards by 17cm to contain a breakfront drawer, moulded base, and with a cornice added at the top. Two oak slides for the drawer have been glued inside base, and on each side is a nailed batten, presumed to prevent lateral movement of the drawer. The original size of the doors is suggested by ‘shadow’ lines under the japanned veneers, and appear originally to have featured an arch design at the top on the outside) have been extended top and bottom beyond their original height (59.5cm) with a 9cm high strip, and with a vertical strip 3cm wide to their inner edges. The original German cabinet back appears to be intact but has been painted black, and consists of horizontal softwood boards (possibly veneered with oak) pegged in place. Still visible is an inlay design of two rectangular ‘frames’ separated by a vertical strip. Design of the cabinet interior The cabinet is arranged in five tiers, the bottom tier being a single large drawer with double breakfront, veneered with japanned designs. All the drawers are of softwood, with dovetailed construction, the bottoms glued up. Some drawer bottoms appear to have a veneer of ash(?) on their inside but this may be a characteristic figure of the softwood used. All the drawers have a (larger drawers two) brassy baluster form knob (some apparently replacement). Top tier: three drawers (two wide, flanking a narrow) with high relief walnut fronts of applied scrolls, vases, balusters and strapwork. [4-6] Second tier: five shallow ‘stringcourse’ drawers of three widths, the fronts decorated with inlay of marbled composition, circles and jewelled bosses. [7-11] Third tier: five pedimented aedicules separated by four fluted columns; the three drawer front aedicules contain a complex baluster vase while the two cupboard doors, held on cranked hinges, are blank. Each of the two cupboard doors has two columns and opens on a compartment veneered on the walls and floor with quartered oak and a central panel of ash framed with a bead and reel motif, the back of the door veneered in ash. Each door is hung on two tinned steel hinges and has had its lock removed. At the left and right is a column of three drawers of varying heights with high relief fronts, and one shallow drawer below with marbled composition. In the centre is a sliding panel of high relief (aedicule and pediment) with a plinth of marbled composite, which reveals two small, deep drawers with ash veneer front and walnut mouldings (and behind, a secret compartment of plain softwood attached to the vertical drawer divider which serves as a handle by means of a sliding dovetail); positioned below these two drawers and secret unit is a removeable softwood nest of seven drawers with fronts of ash veneer and walnut mouldings: three front-opening drawers of ¾ depth, and four short drawers opening laterally from the PL side at the back (one missing its knob and with decayed mouldings). Part numbered as follows: 12-14 drawers with high relief, left side (top, middle, bottom) 15 shallow drawer, left side bottom 16 panel with high relief, centre 17 drawer, centre top (left) 18 secret tray with extended drawer divider handle, centre top, behind two drawers 19 drawer, centre top (right) 20 removeable nest behind sliding panel, centre 21-23 drawers (top, middle, bottom) from removeable nest, front facing 24-27 drawers (top, second from top, third from top, bottom) from removeable nest, side facing 28, 29, 30 drawers with high relief, right side (top, middle, bottom) 31 shallow drawer with marquetry, left side bottom Fourth tier: three drawers two narrow drawers flanking one wide with breakfront; the two narrow drawers have high relief fronts with scrolls, buttons and inlay border; the wide drawer front has two projecting sections with marbled composite which flank a recessed middle section with high relief scrolls, buttons and inlay border (thus matching the narrow lateral drawers on this tier). Each projecting section of the wide drawer front has been blocked out to contain two deep removeable trays of plain oak (four in total); each pair was probably concealed under a sliding lid (missing) held by grooves in the drawers front that have been partially removed. Cut into the dust board under the fourth tier is a loose lid with integral pin hinges, accessed by a finger nail notch, which reveals a nailed softwood unit underneath the dustboard which contains two loose softwood trays. 32 and 34 drawers with high relief front, fourth tier, left/right 33:1 drawer with double breakfront, centre 33:2-5 four oak trays concealed in drawer front with double breakfront, centre 35 loose lid to hidden trays in dustboard under fourth tier 36, 37 loose trays (left, right) from unit under dustboard under fourth tier Fifth tier: a single large drawer with double breakfront veneered with five japanned scenes; the drawer is dovetailed oak with three bottom boards which are grained front to back, and glued into rebates in the drawer sides (and pinned from the back); inside the drawer sides are stained red, and the bottom a powdered gold finish. [38] |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | This interesting piece is composed of an early 17th century South German cabinet which has been extended during the third quarter of the 17th century in England, at which point it was jappaned and placed on a carved stand. The original cabinet has been provided with an extra tier of drawers, while its doors were extended to cover the new enlarged frontal. Traces of the original inlaid decoration on the outside of the German cabinet can still be seen under the japanning which is of good quality, as are the engraved brass hinges and lock-plates. Clearly the German cabinet was regarded as a valuable curiosity when it was embodied in this typical piece of English furniture of the Carolean period. The German cabinet is made of many different kinds of wood and there are small areas composed of compressed and partly stained wood shavings. (pre 1985) |
| Object history | Cabinet on Stand, purchased from Mr Edward Coumbe, 44 Clissold Road for £60 in 1899 (RF 40449/1899). "Chipped, cracked and the lacquer rubbed. Portion of woodwork and five drawer-knobs missing." No further information on the accession papers regarding the cabinet or Mr Coumbe who appears to have been a private owner. Condition of cabinet on arrival - noted as "much damaged, portions missing and detached". Notes from R.P. 95313 Cabinet was restored in the Conservation Department in 1968. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1977:3-1899 |
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| Record created | September 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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