A Dutch ebony, walnut, fruitwood, amaranth and marquetry cabinet on stand

The present cabinet is exemplerary of the famous Dutch floral marquetry, which came into fashion in the late 17th century, and spread to England and France, where it was introduced by the Dutchman Pierre Gole, and also was practised by André Charles Boulle.
In The Netherlands the best known exponant of this kind of marquetry was Jan van Mekeren (1658-1733). Several cabinets can be attributed to Van Mekeren amongst which a cabinet in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and a pair of cabinets at Castle Amerongen. The cabinet maker of the present lot is unfortunately unknown, but the high quality of the floral marquetry reveals that this was made in the tradition of Van Mekeren and dates from the same period. These elaborate pieces of outstanding craftmanship were not only made in Amsterdam but also in The Hague and Rotterdam.