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Lot Essay
This beautiful early eighteenth century japanned bureau-cabinet would have been a significant commission by a patron entranced by the exotic art of the Orient. It is decorated with gold on a red ground in imitation of lacquer and with vignettes inspired by contemporary imported Chinese screens and chests. This so-called 'jappaning' was promoted by Messrs. Stalker and Parker in their A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing, 1688.
The upper sunburst drawer is signed 'DM' twice, as illustrated here, with the initials both right side up and upside down. The same initials in variant hands were found on the back of several drawers on a very similar cabinet sold Christie's, London, 3 November 2011, lot 48 (£79,250). Additionally, one drawer of that cabinet was signed 'Daniel Massey', and the two cabinets share overall composition, specifics of the decorative scheme and the handling of the materials, particularly to the interior cabinet borders. This indicates that the cabinets were likely completed by the same hand. Although the identity of Daniel Massey is not certain, it seems likely he was related to Abraham Massey, the known japanner and cabinet-maker who worked at 'The Two White Posts', Great Queen Street, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and is listed in G. Beard and C. Gilbert, The Dictionary of London Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, p. 585. However, given the numerous similarities between these two cabinets and those by John Belchier (d. 1753) it is very possible that Daniel Massey was either trained by him or employed in his workshop.
John Belchier, cabinet-maker at 'The Sun' in St. Paul's Churchyard, London, is first recorded working in 1717 supplying 'all sorts of Cabinet Works, Chairs, Glasses, Sconces & Coach-Glasses.' A few examples from his workshop are labeled, and significantly, all of them are bureau-cabinets that share several features with this example, such as the cresting, mirrored doors and scarlet ground (op. cit., pp. 59-60). Belchier's most famous commission is of two closely related cabinets with similar decoration supplied to John Meller (d. 1733), Queen Anne's Master in Chancery, for Erddig Castle, Wales. In its 1726 inventory, a 'Red Japan Cabinate' was listed in the 'Blew Mohair' bedroom, and has similar arch-headed and mirrored doors, while a black japanned bureau-cabinet listed in an adjoining room has related large figures painted inside its mirrored doors. One of these examples was stamped 'RF', while other pieces by Belchier are recorded as having the initials 'IB', indicating that journeymen within Belchier's workshop may have been encouraged to stamp or mark their individual pieces. A black-japanned example attributed to Belchier and formerly in the collection of the Duke of Windsor, sold Christie's, New York, 12 October 1996, lot 277 ($717,500), features the same shaped mirrored doors, similar large-scale interior figures and faux-marble pilaster folio slides.
The upper sunburst drawer is signed 'DM' twice, as illustrated here, with the initials both right side up and upside down. The same initials in variant hands were found on the back of several drawers on a very similar cabinet sold Christie's, London, 3 November 2011, lot 48 (£79,250). Additionally, one drawer of that cabinet was signed 'Daniel Massey', and the two cabinets share overall composition, specifics of the decorative scheme and the handling of the materials, particularly to the interior cabinet borders. This indicates that the cabinets were likely completed by the same hand. Although the identity of Daniel Massey is not certain, it seems likely he was related to Abraham Massey, the known japanner and cabinet-maker who worked at 'The Two White Posts', Great Queen Street, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and is listed in G. Beard and C. Gilbert, The Dictionary of London Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, p. 585. However, given the numerous similarities between these two cabinets and those by John Belchier (d. 1753) it is very possible that Daniel Massey was either trained by him or employed in his workshop.
John Belchier, cabinet-maker at 'The Sun' in St. Paul's Churchyard, London, is first recorded working in 1717 supplying 'all sorts of Cabinet Works, Chairs, Glasses, Sconces & Coach-Glasses.' A few examples from his workshop are labeled, and significantly, all of them are bureau-cabinets that share several features with this example, such as the cresting, mirrored doors and scarlet ground (op. cit., pp. 59-60). Belchier's most famous commission is of two closely related cabinets with similar decoration supplied to John Meller (d. 1733), Queen Anne's Master in Chancery, for Erddig Castle, Wales. In its 1726 inventory, a 'Red Japan Cabinate' was listed in the 'Blew Mohair' bedroom, and has similar arch-headed and mirrored doors, while a black japanned bureau-cabinet listed in an adjoining room has related large figures painted inside its mirrored doors. One of these examples was stamped 'RF', while other pieces by Belchier are recorded as having the initials 'IB', indicating that journeymen within Belchier's workshop may have been encouraged to stamp or mark their individual pieces. A black-japanned example attributed to Belchier and formerly in the collection of the Duke of Windsor, sold Christie's, New York, 12 October 1996, lot 277 ($717,500), features the same shaped mirrored doors, similar large-scale interior figures and faux-marble pilaster folio slides.