A 'seaweed' marquetry cabinet on stand attributed to the royal cabinetmaker Gerrit Jensen (1667–1715)
England, the stand probably Holland, circa 1690
The cabinet, completely covered in so-called seaweed marquetry, has a stand with six legs, the houses below decorated with marquetry. Above the legs a drawer, and the upper section with a bow shaped frieze with a secret drawer, behind the two doors an arrangement of eleven drawers all covered with marquetry, surrounding a central door with six further drawers behind. The cabinet is made of pine, veneered with walnut and the marquetry is made of holly. The drawers are made of oak and fitted with brass handles finished with gilt lacquer.
H. 163 x W. 127 x D. 53 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Sicily
Private collection, the Netherlands
The marquetry on this cabinet has striking similarities with a group of seaweed marquetry furniture associated with the Royal cabinet-maker Gerrit Jensen. This includes a kneehole desk with comparable decoration, in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, illustrated in Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne, 2002, p. 189 A closely related cabinet on stand attributed to Jensen is in the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire also illustrated in Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, p.200.
Gerrit Jensen was one of the foremost cabinet-makers of his day who had delivered furniture to the royal family, supplying furniture to St. James's Palace, Hampton Court and Kensington Palace. He also delivered furniture to members of the nobility, as the Dukes of Richmond, Devonshire, Hamilton, Montagu and Somerset. Jensen was from Dutch decent, together with several other craftsmen in London that time, like Jan van Mekeren and Cornelius Gole. Whether Jensen himself made this stand is unknown, some scholars argue this is by his studio.
Other closely related cabinets are at Fairfax House and at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, access.no. 66.64.15 (see images with grey background of the Metropolitan cabinet)
The cabinet, completely covered in so-called seaweed marquetry, has a stand with six legs, the houses below decorated with marquetry. Above the legs a drawer, and the upper section with a bow shaped frieze with a secret drawer, behind the two doors an arrangement of eleven drawers all covered with marquetry, surrounding a central door with six further drawers behind. The cabinet is made of pine, veneered with walnut and the marquetry is made of holly. The drawers are made of oak and fitted with brass handles finished with gilt lacquer.
H. 163 x W. 127 x D. 53 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Sicily
Private collection, the Netherlands
The marquetry on this cabinet has striking similarities with a group of seaweed marquetry furniture associated with the Royal cabinet-maker Gerrit Jensen. This includes a kneehole desk with comparable decoration, in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, illustrated in Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne, 2002, p. 189 A closely related cabinet on stand attributed to Jensen is in the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire also illustrated in Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, p.200.
Gerrit Jensen was one of the foremost cabinet-makers of his day who had delivered furniture to the royal family, supplying furniture to St. James's Palace, Hampton Court and Kensington Palace. He also delivered furniture to members of the nobility, as the Dukes of Richmond, Devonshire, Hamilton, Montagu and Somerset. Jensen was from Dutch decent, together with several other craftsmen in London that time, like Jan van Mekeren and Cornelius Gole. Whether Jensen himself made this stand is unknown, some scholars argue this is by his studio.
Other closely related cabinets are at Fairfax House and at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, access.no. 66.64.15 (see images with grey background of the Metropolitan cabinet)
Part of the Europe collection.
