A South German gilt-bronze mounted sycamore and fruitwood marquetry table cabinet, early 17th century and later

with a pair of doors enclosing an interior with fourteen drawers and three hinged compartments, the interior of doors with initials PC, the sides with carrying handles

This table cabinet is in re-polished and restored condition. There are marks and scratches overall consistent with age and use, most notably to the top and sides. Discoloration to the marquetry on the front doors, while the marquetry to the drawers has an attractive colour. The top and inside of cupboard doors are later and re-veneered and have been possibly reversed. There geometric borders in part are later. The interior drawers have been re-worked and have later carcasses. Metal work to the piece also later. A very decorative and attractive lot in good restored condition.
"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."

Comparative literature:

Liselotte Möller, Der Wrangelschrank und die verwandten süddeutschen Intarsienmöbel des 16. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1956.
Dieter Alfter, Die Geschichte des Augsburger Kabinettschranks, Augsburg, 1986.
Reinier Baarsen, 17th-century cabinets, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 2000.

The present piece can be ascribed to a group of intarsia cabinets produced in Augsburg from the first half of the 16^th century. Originally intended to serve as portable writing desks, they were usually fitted with a fall-front which was sometimes substituted for a pair of doors, indicative of a change in use which effectively turned them into table cabinets.

The marquetry on these panels often depicts architectural ruins combined with strapwork, a scheme that is based on works such as Lorenz Stöer’s Geometria et perspectiva (Augsburg, 1567), or the etchings by the influential Virgil Solis as found in Buchlin von den alten Gebewen (c. 1555), which reinterpreted previous designs.

Comparable examples include a writing cabinet in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. Bk-1955-80), also with related locks and birds motifs, and one other with very similar marquetry drawers, identically configured, sold Sotheby’s Paris, 17 December 2008, lot 159 (fig. 1).