Lot Essay
THIS CABINET WAS CONCEIVED DURING THE LAST PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF DUTCH MARQUETRY FURNITURE, BETWEEN CIRCA 1780 AND 1795. WHEREAS MARQUETRY FURNITURE PRODUCED IN THE PRECEDING PERIOD - WITH NATURALISTIC MARQUETRY AND PICTURESQUE ORMOLU MOUNTS - ATTEMPTED TO EMULATE FRENCH EXAMPLES, THIS LATER PHASE DEMONSTRATES A MIXTURE OF INFLUENCES, WHEREBY ENGLISH INFLUENCES GRADUALLY OVERSHADOWED THOSE FROM FRANCE. THIS INFLUX FROM ENGLAND WAS PROBABLY STIMULATED BY THE SPREAD OF PRINTED FURNITURE DESIGNS, SUCH AS HEPPLEWHITE'S THE CABINET-MAKER AND UPHOLSTERER'S GUIDE (1788) AND SHERATON'S THE CABINET-MAKER'S AND UPHOLSTERER'S DRAWING-BOOK (1794), WHICH ALMOST CERTAINLY BECAME AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR FURNITURE-MAKERS IN HOLLAND. (R.J. BAARSEN, MEUBELEN EN ZILVER OP DE TENTOONSTELLING `EDELE EENVOUD, NEO-CLASSICISME IN NEDERLAND IN 1765-1800', FRANS HALSMUSEUM, HAARLEM, 1989, P. 119)
A MUCH-FAVOURED MOTIF DURING THIS PERIOD WAS THE SO-CALLED PARAPLU OR FAN MOTIF, WHICH FEATURES ON THE DOORS OF THE PRESENT CABINET. THIS MOTIF FEATURES ON A PAIR OF SNAKEWOOD TABACCO BOXES, WHICH WAS SUPPLIED BY JOHAN GOTTFRIED FREMMING (1753-1809) TO THE REGENTS' CHAMBER OF TEYLERS HOFJE IN HAARLEM IN 1789. FREMMING INVOICED THE BOXES AS `TWEE TABAAK KISSIES VAN SLANGENHOUT MET EEN ROSETT INGELIJD ...' FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED 10 FLORINS. (J.R. TER MOLEN, `DE REGENTENVERTREKKEN VAN TEYLERS HOFJE TE HAARLEM', ANTIEK 15 (1980-`81), P. 339)
DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY, THIS KIND OF REFINED MARQUETRY DECORATION MAINLY APPEARS ON FRENCH-INSPIRED FURNITURE-TYPES, SUCH AS COMMODES, SECRETAIRES AND ENCOIGNURES, AND RARELY ON TRADITIONAL DUTCH PIECES, SUCH AS CABINETS AND CORNER BUFFETS, WHICH WERE GENERALLY VENEERED IN MAHOGANY. BESIDES THE PRESENT CABINET, TWO OTHER - SLIGHTLY EARLIER - PIECES WITH `FRENCH' MARQUETRY DECORATION FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE S.J. FONTEIN, HAVE RECENTLY BEEN BEQUEATHED TO THE RIJKSMUSEUM. (R.J. BAARSEN, `TWEE NEDERLANDSE MARQUETERIEMEUBELEN UIT HET LEGAAT S.J. FONTEIN', BULLETIN VAN HET RIJKSMUSEUM, 45 (1997), PP. 217-226)
SEE ILLUSTRATION
A MUCH-FAVOURED MOTIF DURING THIS PERIOD WAS THE SO-CALLED PARAPLU OR FAN MOTIF, WHICH FEATURES ON THE DOORS OF THE PRESENT CABINET. THIS MOTIF FEATURES ON A PAIR OF SNAKEWOOD TABACCO BOXES, WHICH WAS SUPPLIED BY JOHAN GOTTFRIED FREMMING (1753-1809) TO THE REGENTS' CHAMBER OF TEYLERS HOFJE IN HAARLEM IN 1789. FREMMING INVOICED THE BOXES AS `TWEE TABAAK KISSIES VAN SLANGENHOUT MET EEN ROSETT INGELIJD ...' FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED 10 FLORINS. (J.R. TER MOLEN, `DE REGENTENVERTREKKEN VAN TEYLERS HOFJE TE HAARLEM', ANTIEK 15 (1980-`81), P. 339)
DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY, THIS KIND OF REFINED MARQUETRY DECORATION MAINLY APPEARS ON FRENCH-INSPIRED FURNITURE-TYPES, SUCH AS COMMODES, SECRETAIRES AND ENCOIGNURES, AND RARELY ON TRADITIONAL DUTCH PIECES, SUCH AS CABINETS AND CORNER BUFFETS, WHICH WERE GENERALLY VENEERED IN MAHOGANY. BESIDES THE PRESENT CABINET, TWO OTHER - SLIGHTLY EARLIER - PIECES WITH `FRENCH' MARQUETRY DECORATION FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE S.J. FONTEIN, HAVE RECENTLY BEEN BEQUEATHED TO THE RIJKSMUSEUM. (R.J. BAARSEN, `TWEE NEDERLANDSE MARQUETERIEMEUBELEN UIT HET LEGAAT S.J. FONTEIN', BULLETIN VAN HET RIJKSMUSEUM, 45 (1997), PP. 217-226)
SEE ILLUSTRATION