A Louis XIII silver-mounted carved ebony and ebonised cabinet-on-stand, Paris, second quarter 17th century, the stand partly later

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Daniel Alcouffe and others, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Vol. I, Dijon, 1993, pp. 54-59.  

Agnès Bos, Meubles et panneaux en ébène, Le décor des cabinets en France au XVIIe siècle, Musée National de la Renaissance-Château d'Écouen, Catalogue, Paris, 2007,  pp. 61, figs. 24 and 25.

Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide, Wolfram Koeppe and William Rieder, EuropeanFurniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Highlights of the Collection, New York, 2006, pp. 34-37, no. 11.

This rare and impressive cabinet reflects the changing taste in the middle years of the 17th century for large sumptuous pieces for grand galleries and grand state apartments in royal and courtly interiors. It was not until the 17th century that France began to import exotic timbers from the Far East and South America and ebony was one of the first of these woods to be employed in cabinet-making, however, due to its rarity and cost it was almost exclusively used for veneering. French cabinetmakers who worked with ebony became known as menuisiers en ébène and later ébénistes. The carved and engraved ornament and ripple mouldings reflect the light on the glossy ebony surface. This form of cabinet on stand became, according to Wilk popular in French court circles in about 1640 (Christopher Wilk, Western Furniture 1350 to the Present Day, London, 1996, pp. 58-59).

The subject-matter of these bas-relief carvings was inspired by prints with religious, mythological or literary subjects and naturalistic engraved motifs. According to Alcouffe 'These cabinets represent the synthesis of foreign (especially German) influences and traditions expressed in French Renaissance furniture' (p.54). Ebony cabinets of this type with their numerous interior drawers were used to contain jewellery, documents and personal items. 

The scenes on the doors on this cabinet depict Old Testament Biblical scenes of 'Isaac blessing Jacob' and 'Esau sells his birthright to Jacob'. Bos, op. cit., p. 58, plates 24 and 25, illustrate two carved ebony panels depicting very similar scenes which are in the Musée National de la Renaissance-Château d'Écouen, which are in turn, based upon engravings from Figures de la Saincte Bible, engravings on wood after drawings by Jean Cousin, issued by Jean le Clerc, Paris, 1614, illustrated Bos, op. cit., on p. 61, figs 24 and 25.

It is also worthwhile considering another much more ornate ebony cabinet on stand, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by Kisluk-Grosheide, op. cit., pp l. 34-36, (31.66a, b), which also depicts Biblical scenes from the Old Testament some of which are based upon woodcut illustrations from Figures historiques du Vieux Testament first published in 1596 and the second edition was issued in 1614 by Jean Le Clerc, in Paris.

A related Louis XIII cabinet with similar octagonal panels on the doors and engraved with scrolling foliage and flowers including tulips was sold Sotheby’s, Paris, 17 December 2002, lot 8. Another cabinet with similar engraving was offered for sale Christie’s, Amsterdam, 15 December 2004, lot 221.