Neapolitan Cabinet
Maker Unknown
Date: Early 17th Century
Place Made: Italy
Materials & Techniques: Brass, Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Hardwood, Ivory
Dimensions: 52cm x 89cm x 40.3cm
Accession Number: Compton Verney, CVCSC: 0238.I.S
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This amazing 300 year old cabinet has a wood frame covered by a variety of materials. The hinges, handles and lock are made from brass, moulded to look like leaves and attached by screws. The sides and doors are decorated with images of birds, dogs, bears and hunting figures made from mother-of-pearl. The wood has been carefully chipped away to enable the designs to be inlaid and attached with glue. This is an extremely difficult and long process.
Inside there are several drawers, even some secret ones! They are made from wood but a thin covering of ivory has been added, using special glue, to make the interior more attractive. Ivory is obtained from the tusks of elephants. The inside of the cabinet is very delicately carved and includes pictures of a king and queen cut into the ivory and tinted black.
Secret cabinets like this were very popular with tourists who visited Italy in the 17th and 18th Century. They would fill the drawers with souvenirs and treasures from their travels.
Teachers' Information
This hardwood cabinet is decorated with mother-of-pearl foliage inhabited by birds, dogs, bears and hunters. Inside is an exotic ivory veneered and ornately carved interior, while the handles, hinges and locks are made of brass. The design wonderfully blends these expensive materials and the black and white colours add grandeur to the piece. The design is reminiscent of Ottoman art and the workmanship associated with Madrid in the 1600s. During this period Naples and Portugal were under Spanish rule and so benefited from the monopoly the latter country had on ivory imports from Goa.
Brass has been known to humans since prehistoric times, long before zinc itself was discovered. It was produced by melting copper together with calamine, a zinc ore.
Mother-of-pearl is the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water molluscs.
Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance from the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal. Prior to the introduction of plastics, it was used for billiard balls, piano keys, bagpipes, buttons and ornamental items. The word "ivory" traditionally refers to the tusks of elephants; in fact, the word is from Ancient Egyptian âb, âbu meaning "elephant".
The closely-grained texture, lack of brittleness and smooth, even surface of ivory permits intricate, detailed carving. However ivory, like many other materials from animals, can not now be used in artworks of this type in order to protect elephants and other animals from being hunted.
Activities
1. Discuss the ethics of using animal products for decoration. When did it become illegal to use ivory?
2. Design your own cabinet complete with secret drawer and mosaic decoration to resemble the craftsmen of Naples.
3. Research the use of animal products in decorative objects and the development of alternatives.