An Important Polychrome Lacquer Cabinet on Stand

European Circa 1690

Bearing the cypher of Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria, younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph 1

Measurements: width 53” (135 cm) height 66 ½” (170cm) depth 26 ½” (68cm)

The black lacquer cabinet all over decorated with polychrome and gilt chinoiserie of mountainous landscapes depicting figures birds and insects among pavilions beside rivers. The pair of doors with replaced gilt metal strapwork opening to reveal a magnificent red lacquer interior containing 14 drawers each individually decorated with various chinoiserie scenes and with the original gilt metal handles. The inside of the doors also decorated with polychrome landscapes. The Charles 11 high baroque silver gilt base circa 1680. 

 For an identical base supporting a lacquer cabinet in the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin see European Lacquer by Monika Kopplin published by Hermer Verlag page 67 fig 2.  The Charlottenburg Palace was built in 1699 by Elector Frederick 111 of Brandenburg and his art loving wife, Sophie Charlotte, as her summer residence. Sophie Charlotte was the younger sister of George Louis of Hanover who became George 111, King of England. In 1701 Frederick crowned himself King Frederick 1  of Prussia.

This cabinet has recently been moved to the Oranienburg Palace, Brandenburg.

Much of the decoration appears to be influenced by A Treatise of Japanning by John Stalker published in 1688

Provenance:  Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria (1842-1919) his collection at Schloss Klessheim nr Salzburg, Austria. The palace was designed and constructed by Austrian architect Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach for Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thurn in 1700. In 1866 it became the permanent home of Archduke Ludwig Viktor.

In June 1921 the collection was disposed of by the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna, the present Cabinet being sold with a different stand as lot 358. Given that this Cabinet exactly fits the present Charles 11 base with no evidence of alterations, we speculate that the base in the Dorotheum image may have been a later replacement as it appears to date from around 1750. In which case it is possible that after the Dorotheum sale the Cabinet was reunited with its original stand.