LATE 17TH CENTURY

This magnificent cabinet, japanned in bas-relief with golden Chinese garden landscapes and brass-enriched in the so-called 'India' fashion, imitates the Japanese lacquer cabinets shipped to Europe from the mid-17th century by East India Trading Companies. Its stand is conceived in the French Louis XIV 'Roman' fashion, popularised in the late 17th century by engravings such as those issued by William III's Paris-trained architect, Daniel Marot (d. 1752). The stand's hermed pillars are draped with stately lambrequins and support a carved and pierced frieze that would have framed a vase display beneath. While the japanning reflects the teachings of John Stalker and George Parker's Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing, 1688, which explained methods for amateurs of 'Japan' to imitate imported Chinese lacquer, the decoration also relates to the work of the celebrated Berlin japanner Gerard Dagly, such as his cabinet that is now displayed in Schloss Weilburg, Hesse (see I. Reepen, Chinoiserie-Mobel und Wanderverkleidungen, Bad Homburg, 1996, fig. 166). The English taste for these late 17th century lacquer, japanned and 'bantamwork' cabinets are discussed in A. Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, pp. 144 et. seq. A closely related cabinet-on-silvered stand with almost identical metalwork was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 4 March 2004, lot 181 and another with pierced cresting was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 1 July 2004, lot 14.