Cabinets with traceried windows such as those on the top tier of the present lot are according to Ho Wing meng, said to have originated from England in the 17th century when only small sheets of glass were available to the cabinet-makers to be fitted into the barred windows. With time, these traceried windows and doors were appreciated for their ornamental value. Such cabinets would have been used to dosplay china ware, in this instance the colourful Nonya porcelains. Cf. other types of cabinets in similar style, illustrated by Ho Wing Meng, Straits Chinese Furniture - A Collector's Guide, 1994, pp. 76 and 104.

US$5800-8500