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Lot Essay
This richly decorated cabinet with its extraordinary lustrous japanned decoration in imitation of Japanese nashiji lacquer reflects the fashion for Asian ornament following the restoration of Charles II in 1660, when trade with the Far East flourished. Inspired by imported lacquer screens and chests, Messrs. Stalker and Parker published A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing in 1688. In order to keep up with the high demand, fine lacquered objects were imitated by local cabinetmakers and painters. In the introductory text to their guide, Stalker and Parker wrote: 'We have laid before you an Art very much admired by us, and all those who hold any commerce with the Inhabitants of JAPAN: but that Island not being able to furnish these parts with work of this kind, the English and Frenchmen endeavoured to imitate them; that by these means the Nobillity and Gentry might be completely furnisht with whole Setts of Japan-work...'
By 1696, lacquered objects, particularly cabinets, had become 'status symbols' for Royalty and members of their inner circle. For example, when inventory was taken at the time of Queen Mary's death, a number of furnishings in the Queen's bedchamber at Kensington Palace were decorated with 'india japan' which displayed her large collection of Oriental porcelain. This court fashion was brought to its height in the first few decades of the 18th Century, at which time cabinet-makers such as Giles Grendey and John Belchier were producing elaborate case pieces. The rich 'red-Japan' ground conjured from 'Dragons-Blood' was particularly prized. Another double-dome cabinet with pierced scroll cresting exhibits similar landscape panels with feathery trees and figures bearing fans (illustrated in F. L. Hinckley, A Directory of Queen Anne, Early Georgian and Chippendale Furniture, New York, 1971, p. 161, fig. 240).
The cabinet is virtually identical in the design of the cresting, mirrored borders and style of decoration to a kneehole bureau-cabinet in the collection of the Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh, was acquired by Henry C. Frick in 1914 through the fashionable decorator Elsie de Wolfe (later Lady Mendl) for his newly built New York mansion on One East 70th Street. While Mr. Frick employed the firm of White and Allom to decorate the main floor of the house, Elsie de Wolfe was entrusted with the decoration of virtually all of the second floor. This cabinet was appropriately placed in Mr. Frick's paneled bedroom and after his death in 1931 moved to Eagle Rock, the family home in Pride's Crossing, Massachusetts. An invoice dated 14 October 1914 lists this as a 'Very fine Queen Anne cabinet, red lacquer, purchased from Sir Sydney Greville, St. James Palace...£1,000 net $5,000' and there exists a letter dated 4 May 1914 from Sir Greville to Elsie de Wolfe regarding the purchase among other pieces. The cabinet is illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1924, vol. I, p. 123, fig. 11 (closed) and opposite p. 122 (open). The Frick cabinet once formed part of the collection of Sir Sidney Robert Greville (1866-1927), who held various positions with the royal family including Groom-in-waiting to Edward VII and George V, as well as Comptroller and Treasurer to The Prince of Wales (1915-20). He was the youngest son of George Guy Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick, who himself served Queen Victoria.
THE PROVENANCE
This cabinet was acquired by Carl and Lily Pforzheimer for their home in Manhattan. They later brought it to their country estate in Purchase, NY, which was designed by the pre-eminent architects Carriere and Hastings who were also responsible for the Frick mansion.
By 1696, lacquered objects, particularly cabinets, had become 'status symbols' for Royalty and members of their inner circle. For example, when inventory was taken at the time of Queen Mary's death, a number of furnishings in the Queen's bedchamber at Kensington Palace were decorated with 'india japan' which displayed her large collection of Oriental porcelain. This court fashion was brought to its height in the first few decades of the 18th Century, at which time cabinet-makers such as Giles Grendey and John Belchier were producing elaborate case pieces. The rich 'red-Japan' ground conjured from 'Dragons-Blood' was particularly prized. Another double-dome cabinet with pierced scroll cresting exhibits similar landscape panels with feathery trees and figures bearing fans (illustrated in F. L. Hinckley, A Directory of Queen Anne, Early Georgian and Chippendale Furniture, New York, 1971, p. 161, fig. 240).
The cabinet is virtually identical in the design of the cresting, mirrored borders and style of decoration to a kneehole bureau-cabinet in the collection of the Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh, was acquired by Henry C. Frick in 1914 through the fashionable decorator Elsie de Wolfe (later Lady Mendl) for his newly built New York mansion on One East 70th Street. While Mr. Frick employed the firm of White and Allom to decorate the main floor of the house, Elsie de Wolfe was entrusted with the decoration of virtually all of the second floor. This cabinet was appropriately placed in Mr. Frick's paneled bedroom and after his death in 1931 moved to Eagle Rock, the family home in Pride's Crossing, Massachusetts. An invoice dated 14 October 1914 lists this as a 'Very fine Queen Anne cabinet, red lacquer, purchased from Sir Sydney Greville, St. James Palace...£1,000 net $5,000' and there exists a letter dated 4 May 1914 from Sir Greville to Elsie de Wolfe regarding the purchase among other pieces. The cabinet is illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1924, vol. I, p. 123, fig. 11 (closed) and opposite p. 122 (open). The Frick cabinet once formed part of the collection of Sir Sidney Robert Greville (1866-1927), who held various positions with the royal family including Groom-in-waiting to Edward VII and George V, as well as Comptroller and Treasurer to The Prince of Wales (1915-20). He was the youngest son of George Guy Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick, who himself served Queen Victoria.
THE PROVENANCE
This cabinet was acquired by Carl and Lily Pforzheimer for their home in Manhattan. They later brought it to their country estate in Purchase, NY, which was designed by the pre-eminent architects Carriere and Hastings who were also responsible for the Frick mansion.