Cabinet Unit, 1600–1620
Marquetry, intarsia on oak and pine base
(H x W x D)161,3 x 120 x 58 cm
Place of originSouth Germany
About the workThis cabinet looks like the front of a magnificent house with richly decorated windows. Such pieces had their heyday in the sixteenth century and were initially portable desks consisting of an upper part with drawers and a lower part, which was created separately. Over time, they became increasingly expensive and served as showpieces in aristocratic and upper-middle-class circles. These cabinets were also used to store collections ranging from unusual shells and butterflies to optical instruments.
AccessionAcquired 1927 from the Kunstgewerbemuseum
Provenance[...]; 1905 ehem. Kunstgewerbemuseum Düsseldorf (1883-1927) angekauft von privat, Esslingen; 1927 übernommen aus dem Kunstgewerbemuseum
Inventory numberP 18001
