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ANDREW & JUNE ROW ANTIQUES, SOUTHAMPTON
ANTIQUES RESTORATION

EARLY 18th CENTURY GERMAN BAROQUE PARQUETRY COLLECTORS CABINET ON (LATER) STAND

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This fine and rare cabinet is a spectacular showpiece of fine woods and cabinet making, and dates from the first part of the 18th century. The cabinet has been superbly and expertly restored to bring out the full beauty of the veneers and to show the exquisite craftsmanship to its full advantage. Although the rosewood veneered stand is of a later date, probably early 20th century (the original presumably having been destroyed by woodworm), it was made specifically for the cabinet, and suits it remarkably well. Indeed the drawer in the stand is original to the cabinet, and so it is possible that the stand was made to the same design as the original one.

Whilst I have taken great care to photograph the cabinet from as many as many angles as possible and to show as much detail as I can, there are many things that the camera has missed, and these I will try to describe. On close examination, one remarkable fact that soon becomes apparent is that virtually every visible surface has been veneered with thick hand cut veneers, even the tops and bottoms of the doors which wouldn’t normally be seen. Furthermore, where the veneers meet on an outside corner, they have been mitred together so the thick edges of the veneers don’t show. This is a sure sign of outstanding craftsmanship, and must have added many hours of work to the making of the cabinet.

The veneers are principally of kingwood to the main part of the door frames and the side panels, laid in a diamond parquetry pattern, and contained in a scrolled border of fine tulipwood, surrounded by diagonally banded rosewood. The 3 pillars have panels of burr yew wood, also surrounded by tulip wood and rosewood. The cornice and bottom mouldings are of tulipwood, kingwood, straight grained yew wood and rosewood.

The finely hand chased gilt brass mounts are another outstanding feature of this cabinet, and, retaining their original gilding, give a wonderful contrast to the mellow tones of the veneers, and create a perfect frame for the slightly sparkly old mirror glass.

On opening the cabinet doors, another layer of its beauty is revealed. The superb architectural centre section contains 2 columns of 5 finely made drawers, the top two being secret drawers, opened by pressing a catch in the drawer casing below. The drawer fronts are veneered in panels of burr yew, surrounded by tulipwood and diagonally laid kingwood, with yew wood end grain beading around the edges. The drawer linings are of walnut and the tops of the sides and back are made with a finely moulded edge, a most unusual feature. The finely made dovetails on the drawer corners have tiny wedges in the middle of each one to hold them together. The gilt brass handles are original, and retain their original gilding. The pillars flanking the central door are capped with finely carved boxwood Corinthian capitols, as are the half pillars at the outside of the drawers.

The inside of the main door frames are veneered in rosewood, whilst the panels are veneered in kingwood, with tulipwood and rosewood surrounding, and cross grained yew wood moulding around the edges. The large gilt brass cased door lock is of masterpiece quality, and features a double throw mechanism. The key, although of the same age as the cabinet, is probably not the original. There is an ingenious mechanism for retaining the left hand door when shut. As the right hand door closes, a pair of levers set in the top and bottom of the cabinet is activated, pushing a locking bolt automatically into the top and bottom of the left hand door, thus holding it firmly in position.

The central arched mirrored door is framed in tulipwood and kingwood mouldings, and on opening, reveals the secret inner chamber of the cabinet. This is constructed of 4 pillars supporting an arched ceiling, with 3 mirrors forming the walls, with a parquetry floor (tulipwood, boxwood, rosewood and satinwood). When looking into the chamber from an angle, one gets the impression of looking into a pillared hall fading into the distance with the endless reflections. I’m sure this chamber would once have housed a fine piece of sculpture, or a beautiful vase, and the mirrors would have enabled it to be viewed from all sides. The door of this chamber also has a finely made brass lock with its original key.

 

SOLD

Andrew and June Row