Cupboard Corner Hanging Chinoiserie Japanned Tortoishell 18th Century Baroque

A rare, late-17th century / early-18th century, fall front bureau with gilded Chinoiserie Japanning & faux tortoishell ground. “Before Japan was made in England, the imitation of tortoise-shell was much in request for cabinets, tables and the like“. John Stalker and George Parker, a treatise on Japanning and varnishing (originally published in 1668), Alec Tiranti, 1998, p. 75. - This bureau is decorated in one of the most fashionable styles of the Baroque period, Chinese lacquer with gilded decoration and tortoiseshell imitation ground and would have been a statement piece within the interior. - The colours, which have become muted from atmospheric conditions over time, are still striking and colourful evoking warm and richness. - It has come from a private collection where it has reputedly been for many generations which explains why it is in such original condition retaining the original hinges, lock and catches. - Pieces of imitation tortoishell with gilded lacquer decoration are rare, the last piece I handled was a chest of drawers about 20 years ago. - Tortoishell furniture was only affordable by royalty and the elite and the height of fashion in the 17th century, as was producing things that were not what they seemed. One of the oldest examples of faux material from the Baroque period is at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen where, in 1667, the royal bed...

This cabinet was made in Flanders in the mid-17th century as a prestigious item for an affluent member of the professional classes. The significant amount of tortoishell employed dem...

The serpentine front on this magnificent commode is sophisticated and gives it gravitas. It has a rich colour and lustrous patina and has come from a private collection, Semenzato Ve...

A rare, narrow, Italian, baroque, walnut, cabinet or sidetable. This table has unusual, narrow proportions and was probably originally conceived as a stand for a table cabinet or ...

For sale is a good quality George III mahogany, and later chinoiserie, corner cupboard. The front of the cupboard has two doors, each with three panels. Every panel is ornately decor...

Late 18th century English mahogany bowfront hanging cupboard featuring string inlay on the doors with bone escutcheons, three curved interior drawers with brass pulls and four interior shelves. The intricate fruitwood inlay at the top of the cornice features carved dentals with seashells on either side of the Grecian lamp...

This is a English Antique Georgian bowfront cabinet, which has fixed shelfes inside and a locking door. The Chinoiserie decoration or Japanning as it is known in Europe, is beautifully decorated with Figures, Birds, Rocks and Tree's, and a Pagoda in the background. This is a lovely and useful piece of furniture when a quiet corner asks for some interest. The late Coco Chanel decorated her apparment with several pieces of Chinoiserie. Literature: English Furniture Of The Eighteenth Century, Herbert Cescinsky, George Routledge & Sons (1911) vol. I, p. 215, fig 224. Dated 1725-1730. Refs: The development of English black japanning...

An English early-eighteenth century red japanned bow-front corner cupboard, or cabinet, George II-period, circa 1730. In superb condition throughout. Retaining its original butterfly hinges, with a period key and working lock. These are usually encountered with a black background, however when in red these examples of japanning are much sought after. Many were produced domestically, often by talented female members of the family. Note the charming English interpretations in the decorated surfaces. An unusual subject can be seen in the base, a hunter on horseback with sword drawn, confronting a mythological beast, probably representing a tiger with mandarins posing amongst stylised pagodas, rooftops and rockwork. Chinoiserie-decorated surfaces were extremely popular in the early part of the 18th century, almost reaching a craze among the upper classes wishing to demonstrate their fashionable status. There were several revivals of chinoiserie particularly in the first quarter of the 20th century, so caution is advised in one’s collecting. This type of decoration is also sometimes erroneously referred to as ''lacquer’'. The fashion icon Coco Chanel furnished her exquisite Paris apartments largely in the European chinoiserie taste. References: V & A – The development of English black japanning 1620-1820, A History of Japanning in England: Technique & Decoration. John Stalker and George Parker...