A Dutch Colonial hardwood marquetry and stained cabinet on stand

An advert of J. Martens, Expediteur-Emballeur appears in Het Nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië on 26 December 1922. This was a Dutch newspaper in Indonesia during the Dutch period and appeared from 1896-1942. These two labels to the underside of the cabinet indicate that the cabinet must have been in INdonesia for some period of time. The use of veneers and oak as a carcas wood however indicate a Cape Colonial provenance, as veneers would not survive the tropical climate of Indonesia or Ceylon. Furthermore oak was abundant in South Africa where the settlers had introduced the oak tree as a source of wood for wine caskets.