A DUTCH FIGURED WALNUT BUREAU-CABINET

MID 18TH CENTURY

Details

A DUTCH FIGURED WALNUT BUREAU-CABINET
MID 18TH CENTURY
THE WAVED ARCHED MOULDED CORNICE ABOVE A PAIR OF DOORS WITH DIVIDED BEVELLED MIRROR PLATES, THE UPPER PLATES ENGRAVED WITH SCROLLS AND DROPS, ENCLOSING A FITTED INTERIOR WITH TWO ADJUSTABLE SHELVES ABOVE A CENTRAL CONCAVE-FRONTED DOOR INLAID WITH AN ARCHED PANEL, ENCLOSING A FITTED INTERIOR WITH TWO ADJUSTABLE SHELVES ABOVE A CENTRAL CONCAVE-FRONTED DOOR INLAID WITH AN ARCHED PANEL, ENCLOSING A FITTED INTERIOR WITH FOUR DRAWERS, FLANKED TO EITHER SIDE BY AN ENTASISED COLUMN WITH A GILT-METAL IONIC CAPITAL AND MOULDED BASE, ENCLOSING A PLAIN SECRET INTERIOR, AND FLANKED BY FOUR SHAPED DRAWERS, ABOVE A PAIR OF CANDELSLIDES AND A HINGED FALL FRONT, ENCLOSING A FITTED INTERIOR WITH A CENTRAL CONCAVE-FRONTED DRAWER ABOVE A DOOR, FLANKED TO EITHER SIDE BY A COLUMN-FRONTED SECRET COMPARTMENT, PIGEON-HOLES, TWO SMALL BOW-FRONTED DRAWERS AND FOUR SHAPED DRAWERS, ABOVE GREEN FELT-LINED WRITING SURFACE, THE BASE SECTION WITH TWO SUPPORTS ABOVE TWO SHORT DRAWERS AND TWO GRADUATED LONG DRAWERS, BETWEEN SHAPED ANGLES AND ON BRACKET FEET, RESTORATIONS, THE MIRROR PLATES PROBABLY REPLACED
251CM. HIGH X 114CM. WIDE X 70CM. DEEP

Lot Essay

THE BUREAU-CABINET, WITH A SLOPING FLAP BETWEEN A CUPBOARD AND A CHEST-OF-DRAWERS, WHICH DEVELOPED IN ENGLAND AROUND 1700, IS JUST ONE OF THE ITEMS OF FURNITURE WHICH WERE EMULATED BY DUCTH CABINET-MAKERS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY. FURNITURE-MAKERS IN HOLLAND EVEN DESCRIBED THEIR PRODUCTS AS 'ENGLISH' IN ADVERTISEMENTS AND SALE NOTICES; THE BUREAU-CABINET WAS GENERALLY CALLED A 'COMPTOIR CABINET' OR AN 'ENGELS CANTOOR CABINET'. THESE ITEMS OF FURNITURE WERE OFTEN FITTED WITH MIRRORS IN THE DOORS AND WITH CANDLE-SLIDES, AND WERE THEN OFTEN LISTED AS 'SPIEGELSTUK' OR 'SPIEGELCOMPTOIR'. (R.J. BAARSEN, DE AMSTERDAMSE MEUBELLOTERIJEN, ZWOLLE 1992, P. 45)

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