a dutch mahogany cabinet

It is an interesting and curious phenomenon that there was probably virtually no significant production of ornamental gilt-bronze furniture-mounts during the 18th Century in Holland. Most of the 'picturesque' ormolu mounts on Dutch furniture in the French style as well as on more traditional pieces were in fact imported from Birmingham in England, where a large export-orientated metalwork industry was based, which published sales catalogues, mainly illustrating furniture-mounts. (R. Baarsen, 'Andries Bongen (ca. 1732-1792) en de Franse invloed op de Amsterdamse kastenmakerij in de tweede helft van de achttiende eeuw', Oud Holland 102(1988), pp. 21-23) Many mounts on Dutch furniture can hence be traced back to these metal-work pattern books, for instance those in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which are illustrated in N. Goodison's, 'The Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of of metal-work pattern books', Furniture History Society Journal, 11 (1975), pp. 1-30.

See illustration