Cabinet
Category
Furniture
Date
1700 - 1720
Materials
Lacquered camphor, deal, brass handles, locks and brackets
Measurements
43.6 x 50.5 x 35 cm
Place of origin
Jingdezhen
Order this imageCollection
Felbrigg, Norfolk
NT 1398390.1
Summary
A Coromandel lacquer and polychrome decorated cabinet, Chinese, early 18th century With a pair of cupboard doors with chased brass hinges, lock plate and corner mounts and with brass carrying handles to the sides. The doors enclosing an arrangement of eight drawers, one with a chased brass lock. The whole profusely decorated with rocky landscape scenes, flowers and buildings. The drawers signed in Chinese script. Coromandel lacquer is a type of lacquer that is incised and painted with very brightly coloured decoration as can still be seen here on the drawers of the cabinet. These bright scenes are as originally intended and contrast with the faded dull panels to the outside. This technique was used in Northern China from the 17th century onwards, mainly for export to Europe. The name is derived from The English East India Company's trading posts on the Coromandel coast of India.
Provenance
Part of the Windham Collection. The hall and contents were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969 by Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer (1906-1969)