An Anglo-German oak, inlaid and parquetry 'Nonsuch' chest, possibly Southwark, 17th century

The origins of the marquetry designs on the present lot owe much to craftsmen from Germany, France and Holland and to published late 16th century sources such as Wendel Dietterlin’s, Virgil Solis of Nuremburg (1514-1562), treatises on design by Jans Vrederman de Vries (1527-1604) and Jacob Guckeisen (active 1596-1600). These Continental chests inspired furniture makers working in England at the start of the 17th century. Many of these craftsman were European émigrés based in the borough of Southwark in London (cf. Benno M. Forman, 'Continental Furniture Craftsmen in London: 1511-1625', Furniture History, 1971, pp.94-120), and a magnificent chest by one of these craftsmen is preserved at Southwark Cathedral. The front is conceived in a strongly architectural manner profusely decorated with marquetry. Traditionally, and perhaps rather romantically, these chests were linked to Henry VIII’s great palace of Nonsuch in Surrey, most probably as the impressive architectural detailing and outline of that famous building resembled the extraordinary structures portrayed in these marquetry panels. For another example of a marquetry chest with architectural detailing, which is English but derived from work in Europe, see that dating from the 1570s at Hardwick Hall. This chest is probably the one formerly in Bess of Hardwick's With-drawing Chamber, being described in the 1601 inventory as the 'great inlayde Chest.' Bearing the initials 'GT' possibly for Bess's fourth husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury whom she married in 1568 (see Lindsay Boynton, ed., 'The Hardwick Hall Inventory of 1601', Furniture History, 1971).