Important Late 17th Century Marquetry Cabinet on Stand
We are delighted to announce the arrival of an exceptional late 17th century marquetry cabinet on stand, a piece that ranks amongst the finest examples of English furniture produced during this remarkable period.
Retaining its original stand and displaying marquetry of outstanding quality throughout, the cabinet reflects the extraordinary work achieved by leading cabinet makers working in London during the final decades of the seventeenth century. The design is a blend of English, Dutch and Huguenot influences, illustrating the strong international exchange of ideas that transformed English furniture making during the reigns of Charles II, James II and William III.
The exterior is richly decorated with floral marquetry and striking large-scale parrots to the sides, which demonstrate the increasing fascination with the natural world and exotic subjects that characterised the finest arts of the period. Opening the doors reveals an equally impressive fully fitted interior, elaborately veneered and inlaid throughout with an arrangement of drawers centred around a cupboard. Concealed within are a number of secret drawers.
The cabinet shares many of the same attributes as a fine marquetry cabinet in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Museum No. W.34-1977). The similarities in construction, marquetry technique, decorative vocabulary and overall appearance are striking, suggesting a common source of inspiration and raising the possibility that both pieces originated from the same circle of craftsmen, if not the same workshop itself.
Particularly noteworthy is the treatment of the interior. Opening the doors reveals a magnificent fully fitted arrangement of drawers centred around a cupboard, all richly decorated with marquetry. Concealed within are a number of secret drawers. The inner cupboard doors are decorated with large-scale parrots of exceptional quality, echoing the exotic bird motifs found to the sides of the cabinet and reflecting the growing fascination with the natural world that characterised the decorative arts of the late seventeenth century.
Whilst a definitive attribution remains elusive, the cabinet clearly belongs to the highest echelon of English cabinet making and stands as a compelling reminder of a period when London workshops were producing furniture to rival the finest examples being created anywhere in Europe.
Further research into the cabinet’s origins and possible workshop attribution is ongoing.
