a dutch oak cupboard

MID 17TH CENTURY

Details

a dutch oak cupboard
Mid 17th Century
The rectangular moulded cornice above a frieze flanked and divided by masks and carved with gadrooned urns and scrolling acanthus, above two doors flanked and divided by sculpted caryatids and inset with carved panels, the left panel depicting Faith and bearing the inscription Credo and the date 1649, the right panel depicting Charitas, each enclosing a plain interior, above a pair of doors flanked and divided by fluted reeded pilasters and each inset with two carved panels, depicting Hope and Vanity on the left door and Justice and Courage on the right door, each enclosing a plain interior with a shelf, above two base drawers carved with scrolling acanthus and flanked and divided by lion's-masks, on later bun feet, restorations
199cm. high x 166cm. wide x 71cm. deep

Lot Essay

This richly sculpted cupboard, in Dutch generally known as 'beeldenkast', is named after the carved figures or 'beelden', which divide the doors. The figures usually symbolise Faith, Hope and Love. On this example, the depiction of these vitues is concentrated in the carved reliefs of the doors, one of which bears the date 1649. The choice of this symbolism on this type of cupboard is not entirely coincidental. Beeldenkasten were often given as wedding-presents and used to store the newly-weds' valuable linen. (R.J.Baarsen, Nederlandse Meubelen 1600-1800, Zwolle, 1993, p.24)

See illustration

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