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Rare 18th C painted Papier Mâché table cabinet on gilded carved wooden stand.

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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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