South German, late 16th century

inscribed in pen: 250598 - and with illegible inscriptions to the interior

Overall the condition of the cabinet is good with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some wear to the ivory and wood inlay, including a few stable slightly open splits, such as around the saint in the central panel. There are a few minor losses to the ivory and wood inlay, including at the left corner of the door. Some of the losses to the wood have been filled with wax. There is some minor warping to the inlay on the door, consistent with age. There are a few stable, probably original incised lines in the central panel of the inlay in the door. Small pieces of wood have been glued to the core, visible when the draws are removed, to keep the draws in position. There is some minor stable splitting to the wood, consistent with the material. There is some evidence of past worming. The mounts are in working condition with oxidization to the surface. There is a repair to the top left corner of the lock plate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This interesting cabinet combines an exterior of forceful patterns in sturdy oak with fine ivory foliate inlay on the interior, emphasising its function as a portable cabinet for precious objects. As is the case with many similar objects from 16th-century Germany, the patterns, figures and scenes with which the inside is decorated are inspired by prints by Virgil Solis. The scene with Orpheus closely relates to all three inventions with the same subject by Solis and many of the animals, the two heads over St. Andrew and even the moralising character inspecting himself with a mirror find close comparisons in the prints (see O'Dell-Franke, nos. d65-67, h70 and ex137). The technique with which the inlay is applied is usually associated with gun-stock makers, who took such work other applied arts on occassion as demonstrated by Hayward (op.cit.). The exterior equally has parallels in South German art: an oak money box in the Hans Schnell collection (inv. no. 6849) shows a similarly raised floral pattern as that on the top of the present cabinet and shares comparable etched decorations on the metal mounts.

RELATED LITERATURE
J.F. Hayward, 'A reading desk by Caspar Lickinger', Das Obere Schwaben, 1963, pp. 177-183; I. O'Dell-Franke, Kupferstiche und Radierungen aus der Werkstatt des Virgil Solis, Wiesbaden, 1977, pl. 33, 34, 97 and 178; M. Pall, Locked treasures. Caskets and cabinets from around the world, cat. Hans Schnell collection, Graz, 2006, pp. 30-31, no. 24