Description:
Ref: JB610
Rare 18th C painted Papier Mâché table cabinet on gilded carved wooden
stand. The two door cabinet
with hinged top is decorated with chinoiserie themes on the
outside and inside with wild flowers and butterflies.
The cabinet is constructed of flat panels which points to an
early date when papier mâché was made as a substitute for
wood and competing with panels of decorated oriental lacquer
which were being imported and used by many of the respected designer
makers. Papier Mâché has qualities which made it superior to wood for the
purpose in providing a smoother surface for painted decoration. The
methods used in this cabinet date back to an influential treatise from
the previous century: Stalker, John.
M.A., and (George) Parker of Oxford .
A Treatise of Japaning and
Varnishing, being a compleat discovery of those arts ... with ...
patterns for Japan-work ... engraven on 24 ... copper-plates. Oxford:
1688.
The
composition is an elegant orchestration of a sweeping path from
pavilions to tall oriental figures. The left side counterbalances the
heavier decoration on the right with fine depictions of foliage and
airy trees.
Chinoiserie
decoration was the height of fashion during the 18th Century and early
19th Century, when the west was gripped by the glimpses of
exotic cultures of the East (Cathay) which were introduced by the tales of
early travelers and traders of the Silk Road. European artists
accompanied formal delegations and brought back a treasure trove of
art, which was exhibited, printed and generally disseminated amongst
the people of inquisitive mind and eclectic taste.
This
is a rare fine example of the genre in that it combines both skill and
artistry in its graceful composition: it is both refined and and
luxurious in the best tradition of the period.
Origin: ; Circa:
1780 ; Materials:
papier mâché, wood.
Size: 37 cm wide by 18 cm by 39 cm: 14.7
inches wide
by 7.1 inches by 15 inches.
Condition: good
overall; working locks and keys; see images: there are small losses to
corners. The cabinet surface has an overall crackleur of real age.
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.JPG)
