Details
The rectangular cove molded top above two cupboard doors on a stand with a long drawer and squared tapering legs, now on a later rectangular base, decorated with cartouches depicting porcelain garnitures or flower sprays on an ochre ground
7912 in. (202 cm.) high, 6014 in. (153 cm.) wide, 2114 in. (54 cm.) deep
Special notice
Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) at 5pm on the last day of the sale. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services. Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. This sheet is available from the Bidder Registration staff, Purchaser Payments or the Packing Desk and will be sent with your invoice.
Brought to you by

Lot Essay

The shape of this colorful cabinet is very close to that of late seventeenth-century Dutch examples and its masterfully-executed polychrome decoration is clearly influenced by lavish floral still lives created in marquetry on such pieces of furniture at the time. As the vessels and the flowers painted on this cabinet all have an oriental, particularly Chinese, rendering, it is also possible that the maker of this lot was imitating luxurious Chinese laquer that was often used in European furniture in late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
From the middle of the seventeenth century onwards, painted furniture was made in the Northern parts of The Netherlands. The main centers of manufacture for these pieces where to be found in the Zaanstreek, a region in the north of Holland, the city of Hindeloopen and on the island of Ameland.
In major cities like Amsterdam these pieces were made by members of the so called witwerkers. They were organized in a guild and were only allowed to produce furniture which was made out of soft-woods, such as pine. In addition to making practical objects like chests and trunks, they also made cabinets. Subsequently these pieces were then painted by other specialized craftsmen. Unfortunately, as there were no guilds in the provinces, and due to the lack of information from written sources, we know little about how furniture making was organized in the countryside.

Related Articles

Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.

More from
The Art of Entertaining: The Collection of Mr. & Mrs. John H. Gutfreund 834 Fifth Avenue
Place your bid Condition report

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

I confirm that I have read this Important Notice regarding Condition Reports and agree to its terms. View Condition Report