Sideboard
attributed to Jan van Mekeren (1658-1733)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1700
Materials
Oak, walnut, princeswood, rosewood, kingwood, olive wood, holly, fruitwood
Measurements
183.5 x 173 x 61 cm
Place of origin
Amsterdam
Order this imageCollection
Belton House, Lincolnshire
NT 434811
Summary
A walnut, princeswood, rosewood, olive and marquetry inlaid side cabinet, attributed to Jan van Mekeren (Amsterdam, 1658–1733) circa 1700, raised on a later 19th century stand. The top section with moulded cornice above two doors finely inlaid with vases of flowers surrounded by scrolling foliage on an ebony ground within oyster veneered borders and raised on a later deep moulded plinth. .
Full description
The cabinet would have originally been raised on an open stand with perhaps a frieze drawer and either square section baluster legs or scrolled legs joined by stretchers and would probably have stood slightly higher. The marquetry is typical of Dutch craftsmen of the late 17th / early 18th century. The quality of floral marquetry produced at this time in Amsterdam rivaled all but the finest work produced in Paris. It attempted to imitate flower paintings, which were popular and van Mekeren was a master of his craft. There are several pieces attributed to his workshop, one such cupboard is in the V&A collection (W.5:1 to 3-1986) and others in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdamn (BK-1964-12) and (BK-1962-50). (James Weedon November 2018)
Provenance
Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) from Edward John Peregrine Cust, 7th Baron Brownlow (b.1936) in 1984.
Makers and roles
attributed to Jan van Mekeren (1658-1733), furniture designer and maker
References
van Duin, Paul and Breebaart, Iskander 'The conservation of a late 17th century floral marquetry cabinet attributed to Jan van Mekeren' Rijksmuseum