This work of art was made in England around 1700, at a time when furniture was at its most magnificent, competing with the splendour of the great French court of Louis XIV at Versailles. It is both a highly-decorated functional object and a grand piece of sculpture. It was probably commissioned for a prominent position in a gallery or a more private 'cabinet' or closet' containing other exotic decoration and would have made quite a statement about the status of its owner.

 

The cabinet itself is made from wood panels. These have been decorated so as to simulate imported Oriental lacquer. Oriental lacquer comes from the resin of a tree, but the material used here is called shellac, which is extracted from the shellac beetle.

This imitation is known as 'japanned' decoration because it imitates Japanese style. Both the exterior and interior of the cabinet is decorated with flowers and figures known as 'chinoiserie', a European imitation of Oriental styles. Despite its Oriental appearance this object was made in England, most probably in London.

 

The cabinet sits on a carved stand of silver-decorated pinewood, while a matching cresting with shelves to support fragile and expensive Chinese porcelain sits on top. The design is carefully planned and the brushwork very fine, its colour and shading close to that used on Chinese hand-painted silks and porcelain.

 

The carved stand and cresting are fine examples of the baroque style, showing the influence of immigrant Huguenot (French protestant) craftsmen who brought with them new standards of design and craftsmanship.