The Bransby Cabinet
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1650 (cabinet) - circa 1890 (stand)
Materials
Ebony, Ivory, pine and oak carcass, iron hinges and two iron keys
Measurements
84 x 100.5 x 47 cm
Place of origin
Italy
Order this imageCollection
Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland
NT 1277032
Summary
A particularly fine ebony and ivory cabinet, Italian, circa 1650, known as The Bransby Cabinet, retaining what appears to be the original key, The exterior decorated with line-inlaid geometric patterns and the top having a cavetto-sided compartment with blue-painted interior and lockable strap-hinged lid. The pair of doors each with an interior surface centred with a figure within a large cartouche with flanking caryatids and above swags, birds and animals and opening to reveal a profusely inlaid tiered interior of architectural form, intricate detail and secret drawers :- The upper tier with balustrades, obelisks and pediments on two sliding doors revealing a further five small drawers to each side, only accessible when the central drawer is removed and a release button is operated which is hidden behind the very slim ivory panels below, again only accessible when the central slim drawer is removed The middle tier with two deep drawers depicting mythological scenes below a small arcaded drawer, positioned either side of the central cupboard depicting grotesque figures and which opens to further strapwork-inlaid small drawers, flanked by four projecting pilasters with simulated flutes and carved ivory Corinthian capitals, the far left and far right pilaster sliding to reveal a bank of hidden small drawers, again only accessible when the afore-mentioned larger drawers are removed. When this happens secret drawers at the rear become visible, also the central cupboard itself slides forward and can be lifted out of the cabinet revealing further hidden drawers at the rear. The lower tier containing two drawers with handles, one drawer wider than the other. Now sitting on a later stand, circa 1890, fitted with a slide above two small drawers and cabriole legs with pad feet.