Stand
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1840
Materials
Ebonised softwood, pine
Measurements
91.5 x 114 x 53.5 cm
Place of origin
Holland or England
Order this imageCollection
Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire
NT 959808.2
Summary
An ebonised stand, circa 1840, supporting a japanned, ebonized and brass mounted cabinet, English or Dutch, circa 1675 - 1700. The stand ebonized, and with a blind fretwork lozenge strapwork frieze, on four spiral-turned legs joined by conforming stretchers and terminating in bun feet. The cabinet painted to both doors and to both sides with vases of European flowers within a garland of flowers and with scattered insects. The doors each with five pierced brass hinges fixed with pins, pierced corner mounts and pierced elaborate lockplate. The interior fitted with eleven small drawers with edge mouldings, each painted with a reserve within a densely decorated floral ground. The inside of the drawers is apparently painted in an orange/gold scheme, possibly imitating aventurine lacquer. The drawers set back from the front edge of the cabinet. The front edges of the side, top and bottom boards painted with a leaf and berry repeating pattern.
Full description
This is a rare cabinet, one of a small group japanned in the European or Dutch manner, with vases of floral sprays, instead of Chinese of Japanese scenes and motifs. A comparable example is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, W.50:1-1948; and several others have appeared at auction in the 20th century. It is not known whether these cabinets were made in Holland or England. Surviving bills and receipts suggest that much of the 17th century furniture at Nostell Priory was in fact purchased by Charles Winn (1795 - 1874), who inherited a house with many rooms unfinished. An interested antiquarian, Winn chose to furnish some of the rooms, such as the Lower Hall, Vestibule and West Passage, with furniture of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is possible that this stand was made at this period.
Provenance
Probably purchased by Charles Winn (1795 – 1874) and thence by descent until purchased by the National Trust in 2002 with the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund.
References
Westgarth 2009, M. Westgarth, 'A Biographical Register of Nineteenth Century Antique and Curiosity Dealers', Regional Furniture XXIII (2009), 1 - 205 Bowett 2002: Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, 2002, p. 163, Plate 5:32