Hansord Cabinets

A fine and rare mid-17th century ebony veneered architectural table cabinet of diminutive proportions, circa 1640. Augsuerg. The moulded ebony veneered cabinet is surmounted with a...

A beautifully decorated Queen Anne period lacquer cabinet on stand. Having pierced, fretted brass hinges and lock plates. Chinoiserie scenes to the doors, opening to reveal ten fitte...

This is a highly unique hand-painted and inlaid Egyptianesque collector's cabinet that pays homage to ancient Egyptian motifs. The cabinet features a rounded top and bottom, and open...

Important Spanish Cabinet 17th century in blackened wood and tortoiseshell veneer. It opens with eight drawers framing a central door, surrounded by two columns. Richly decorated w...

An 18th Century Dutch Ebony cabinet with elements in walnut and rosewood, mounted on a later, 19th Century, painted and parcel-gilt stand. This piece has ...

Important 17th Century Italian Cabinet (Bargueño) Exceptional Italian bargueño cabinet from the 17th century, finely crafted in fruitwoods with exquisite tortoiseshell and engraved ...

A fine example of a diminutive burled walnut vargueno, collector or valuables cabinet, with molded cornice and drop front, opening to a multi-drawer ...

With a pair of doors with elaborate brass hinges and overall Asian inspired decoration opening to an interior of drawers with brass bail handles. The slightly later base with Asian i...

In great condition. With a pair of doors with elaborate brass hinges opening to an interior fitted with drawers with brass ring handles. The base, a one hundred year later addition w...

An early-18th century Coromandel lacquer corner cupboard or cabinet. This is rare - high quality Coromandel lacquer work (incised decoration) - not to be confused with the usual English japanned versions. This is also referred to as Bantam work, originating in Bantam, Dutch East Indies, and China, for export to the European market. The subject matter is of a major pavilion with numerous courtiers - most unusual to see only females - it has been suggested that they may be concubines to a Mandarin. All of high quality and in the sought-after and refined chinoiserie taste. In very good unrestored state, retaining vibrant colours and all its original hardware. This is a chic antique, and makes a lovely chinoiserie drinks cabinet...

Twelve-drawer cabinet with rounded front and wavy mouldings, turned wooden palissender base Portuguese work, 18th century (accidents and missing parts)

An extremely fine, elegant and rare late 17th Century Japanese lacquer cabinet, from the Eco period, on later lacquered black stand. Japanese circa 1690 Provenance A private Scottish collection This outstanding cabinet is a fascinating fusion of east and west. The cabinet itself would have been made in Japan, c.1690, and is decorated to the outside with hiramaki-e lacquer. This technique involves the use of sprinkled gold powder which adheres to the lacquer surface. On the best pieces, as with this example, many layers are added in order to create areas of high relief and give depth to the surface decoration. The taste of the Japanese workshops in this period was often for quite restrained pieces with plenty of the black background visible, unlike some of the busier Chinese lacquer or European japanned examples produced around the same time. The Japanese makers seemed content to rely on the outstanding quality of the lacquer itself, regarded by most experts as the finest lacquer ever produced, and did not see the need to cover every surface believing that less was more in this respect. The lacquer here is used to produce a mountainous scene with buildings on the bank of a river, the other side of the river with more buildings and a contrasting flatter and forested landscape. The fine perspective achieved is the result of the clever use of raised and flatter areas in the lacquer itself in combination with the drawing of the design itself. Another remarkable aspect of this piece is the fine metalware throughout, but particularly the lockplate / hasp, hinges and foot mounts to the front. This is all beautifully cast and engraved contrasting against the black background. Interestingly another cabinet on stand with near identical metalwork was advertised in the Burlington Magazine, November 1913, with the dealer W. Williamson and Sons of Guildford. The lacquer on that piece is similarly refined and it seems likely that both pieces came from the same workshop. The European influence in our piece can be seen in both the later ebonised stand and in the japanned decoration which has been applied to the inside of the doors and is also very fine indeed. This consists of two panels with birds of prey perched on branches in colours set against a golden background. The cabinet has a recent Scottish provenance and so it is likely that the ebonised stand was made in Britain though such pieces were made throughout Europe as a way of quite literally elevating these imported pieces of eastern lacquer as in Japan these would have been used on the floor. Inside the cabinet there is a combination of more Japanese lacquer and lock plates and European drawer handles. Most of the lacquer drawer fronts incorporate mountainous scenes and birds in combination, with a few purely one or the other of the two subjects. Again the lacquer is in excellent condition and is of exceptional quality with multiple layers of relief used in one single scene in many cases. As mentioned above, Japanese lacquer is the most technically brilliant of the eastern lacquers and, as such, was highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs throughout Europe when this piece was made. The acquisition of such pieces would only have been possible for a small group of incredibly wealthy individuals, largely royal or high ranking courtiers or merchants connected with the East India trade...