A German Baroque parcel-gilt and polychrome-japanned bureau cabinet probably Berlin, second quarter 18th century

Decoration refreshed throughout. Late mirror plates with losses to silvering and foxing. Finials replaced. Japanned decoration with some inpainting, cracklure, and small losses and chips consistent with use and age. Some chips and abrasions to gesso. Scattered age and construction cracks; not extensive. Drawer pulls associated.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present bureau cabinet is a typical example of lacquered furniture produced in Berlin. The exact maker of this piece cannot be determined with certainty, but it is most likely that his knowledge of japanning came from the Dagly workshop. Some of the most famous German lacquerers, such as the famed Saxon craftsman Martin Schnell, were trained by Dagly and passed their expertise onto the next generation of artists. The unusual green color of the decoration and the robust layers of lacquer on the present lot all suggest Berlin as a place of manufacture. Other “Berlin characteristics” of this cabinet are the simplified form, the lack of an ornate carved giltwood cresting, which is more often found on Saxon bureaux, and the inclusion of large, almost fantastical, flowers on the sides of the cabinet. As seen in this lot, Berlin lacquer generally is less adherent to the traditional aesthetics of Chinese lacquer than Dresden examples.

In Germany, the most important center of japanning was Berlin, where the famed Gérard Dagly (1660-1715) was employed as court-lacquerer and Kammerkünstler to the Elector of Brandenburg, and later to the King of Prussia, in 1688. During his tenure as directeur des ornements, he was responsible for the redecoration of the royal residences, which he furnished with lacquered pieces produced in his atelier. It was Dagly who first experimented with unusual pigments and broke away from the traditional black, red and gold palette of oriental lacquer. Under his direction, green, blue and yellow lacquer were introduced and became widely favored throughout Europe. Recognizing how well lacquered and japanned furniture complemented European and Chinese ceramics, which were found in every connoisseur's collection, Dagly and his peers brought chinoiserie into fashion not just in Germany but in France as well. The pairing of the two media was perfected at the German courts and it persisted for decades to come not only in the German states but in other parts of Europe as well. As the Parisian marchand-mercier Edmé-François Gersaint (1694-1750) noted in 1747: "Le Lacq est encore un genre de curiosité, qui s'assortit à merveille avec la Porcelaine; & ils ont tant de rapport entr'eux, qu'on seroit surpris de voir un beau Cabinet de Porcelaine, sans y rencontrer quelques-unes de ces Piéces précieuses de Vernis.", see Edmé-François Gersaint, Catalogue raisonné, des bijoux, porcelaines, bronzes, lacqs, [...] provenans de la succession de M. Angran, Vicomte de Fonspertuis [...], Paris, 1747, p. 116.

German Baroque cabinets of the eighteenth century derive directly from English models of the late 1600s and early 1700s, when English furniture exerted a strong influence in Northern Europe, particularly in Denmark, the Netherlands and the North German states. To the continental eye, one of the most iconic pieces of English furniture was the bureau cabinet, which was simply called the "English cabinet." In Europe, the German states were particularly open to foreign influences and local craftsmen quickly embraced new styles and forms. In fact, as early as 1731, the Dresden cabinetmakers' guild allowed one of its apprentices to produce an "English cabinet" as his masterpiece. The fact that only two years after the Verfertigung eines Englischen Schreibe Schranks zum Meister Stück was granted to the abovementioned apprentice, all new apprentices were required to produce one illustrates how immensely popular bureau cabinets had become in a short time.