Cabinet

Object Type
This commode's japanned (painted) doors open to reveal six drawers also decorated with japanned scenes. Japanned furniture began to become fashionable in Britain in about 1700-1710, and was boosted in the 1750s, partly in response to the French fashion for furniture using genuine Japanese lacquer panels. Hence this piece would have broadcast the owner's knowledge of the latest arrival on the scene of style and good taste.

Design & Designing
The two doors depict fishing scenes stacked in a strongly vertical perspective, typical of Japanese designs on lacquer and ceramics. This suggests that the craftsman was familiar with true Asian lacquer, not merely pattern books. A commode exists that is almost identical in form to this piece, but it has panels of incised lacquer on the doors and borders rather than japanning. This indicates that both pieces were made in the same workshop. The cabinet maker probably designed a standard type of commode and offered a variety of exterior decoration to suit the budget and taste of the client.

Subjects Depicted
The shaped apron (ornamental piece running beneath the doors) illustrates the fusion of East Asian and Western motifs that often occurred on Chinoiserie pieces. It is japanned with a floral design inspired by bamboo leaves, but they end in a classical husk or calyx (flower bud) motif.