A fine Dutch Japanned, mahogany, satinwood, tulipwood, amaranth and marquetry cabinet, probably The Hague Neoclassical, circa 1785

surmounted by a shaped pediment centred by a roundel hung from a tied-ribbon and Japanned with vases and flowers, flanked on each side by a pierced gallery, all above four doors mounted with Japanned panels below an inlaid canopy with ribband cresting and flanked on each side by simulated fluting, the shaped apron inlaid with laurel leaf garlands, on stile feet, overall inlaid with fruitwood dentil, guilloche and chevron borders

Purchased by the present owner in 1977 from Limburg Antiek, Brouwershaven, The Netherlands.

Related Literature:
R. Baarsen, Nederlandse Meubelen 1600-1800. Dutch Furniture 1600-1800, Zwolle 1993, pp. 128, 129.

The elegant Dutch cabinet on offer now was executed between circa 1780 and 1795.
During this last phase of the development of Dutch Neoclassical furniture a new distinctive preference for light exotic veneers, such as satinwood, occurred. This new type of refined marquetry harmonised with the simplified geometrical motifs that became fashionable in this period and relates to those produced in England in the same years. It was probably inspired by the engraved furniture designs by Hepplewhite and Sheraton, which were published respectively in 1788 and 1794, and were undoubtedly a valuable source of inspiration for Dutch furniture makers.
It is interesting that during this English inspired phase of marquetry furniture, Dutch cabinet-makers often enriched their pieces with panels of Japanese or Chinese lacquer or with japanning. Reinier Baarsen suggests that this decoration may have been a specialty of cabinet-makers working in The Hague where novelties in furniture-making were often first seen. The celebrated The Hague cabinet-maker Matthijs Horrix (1735-1809) was possibly responsible for the introduction of this daring new type of decoration. Horrix, who became Meester Kabinetwerker in 1764, was the principal supplier of furniture to the Stadthouder’s Court between 1767 and 1795. He received a commission from Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia – the Stadthouder’s consort who admired Horrix’s work – in 1780 for a number of commodes inlaid with oriental lacquer provided by the Princess; this is the earliest known reference in the late 18^th century to furniture decorated in this manner.