Object Description
This is a beautiful antique Dutch marquetry walnut chest of drawers, circa 1800 in date.
It has been accomplished in walnut with exquisite hand-cut marquetry decoration of urns, shells and corner fans typical of the period.
The drawer linings are of solid oak, the handles, locks and escutchons are all original and it has six useful large capacious drawers.
This exceptional piece represents a fantastic example of 18th century Dutch marquetry cabinetry at its very finest.
Condition:
In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 165 x Width 109 x Depth 52
Dimensions in inches:
Height 65.0 x Width 42.9 x Depth 20.5
Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, mother of pearl, pewter, brass silver or shell) of different colors are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers.
Walnut
The Walnut woods are probably the most recognisable and popular of all the exotic woods, having been used in furniture making for many centuries. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable.
Figured Walnut and Burr Walnut (often referred to as Burl Walnut) were considered as the most attractive varieties of Walnut. Burr Walnut veneer was taken from the specific part of the tree where ‘growths’ sprouting smaller branches and/ or roots would occur. As these ‘growth’ areas were limited in both occurrence and size, larger veneers were hard to source and often on bigger furniture (tables, desks, bureaus, cabinets etc), these veneers would have to be carefully joined by matching up the pieces or blending them together.
Our reference: 04875b