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Lot Essay
The present cupboard distinguishes itself from other cupboards of this period by the virtuoso ripple mouldings that are applied to the doors and panels. Especially the broad sun-burst ripple mouldings that frame the raised panels of the doors are an achievement of the highest level of ébenisterie. Starting straight in the middle the ripples gradually are set at an angle until they meet up at a perfect 45 degrees in the corners. The famous ebony kingwood and mother of pearl marquetry cupboard in the Rijksmuseum shares this rare feature. It also has the same solomonic collumns to the angles and the same profile has been used for some of the lesser ripple mouldings. It is most likely that these two cupboards were produced in the same workshop, at about the same time.
Although it cannot be confirmed, the cupboard in the Rijksmuseum is most likely to be the cupboard mentioned in the inventory that accompanied the last will and testament of Herman Doomers wife Baertjen Martens. This cupboard listed as groote ebbekas met parlemoer ingeleydt (large ebony cupboard inlaid with mother-of-pearl) was valued at 300 ducats, and was by far the most valuable item on the inventory -which also included the famous portraits of Doomer and his wife by Rembrandt.
Herman Doomer (circa 1595 - 1650).
Herman Doomer was born in Anrath (circa 1595), but was recorded in Amsterdam in 1613, where he stayed until his death in circa 1650. Not much is known about Doomer, whose main reason for fame initially was the portrait painted of him and his wife Baertje Martens by Rembrandt in the 1640's (the portrait of Doomer is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the pendant of his wife in the State Hermitage, St Petersburg). More information can be gleaned from the four wills drawn up by Doomer's wife in 1654, 1662, 1668 and 1677; in her wills she mentions the two portraits by Rembrandt, 26 other paintings by Dutch contemporaries, and of course items of furniture.
Ebony workers in Amsterdam in the early 17th century
In 1613 Herman Doomer started working as an apprentice to the ebbenhoutwerker David Stafmaecker, who begun working ebony in Amsterdam in 1590, and claimed to have taught all those active in this craft in 1625. The name Stafmaecker alludes to the limited uses that ebony was put to in the late 16th century - mainly staffs, small objects and decorative elements for furniture. In the early 17th century the VOC started importing larger quantities of this exotic wood and larger pieces of furniture began to appear - such as armchairs, picture frames and caskets. With this new development these ebony workers started using ebony veneers on oak carcasses, which brought them into conflict with the St Joseph's guild of cabinetmakers. This led to the creation of the ebony workers guild in 1626, after Stafmaecker refuted the protests from the cabinetmaker's guild stating that in order to work ebony and other tropical woods one needed totally different tools, Stafmaecker submitted his protest on behalf of Jan Willemsz. Bus, Herman Dommer and other ebony workers. This document shows that by 1625 Doomer already plays a prominent role within the group of Amsterdam ebony workers, his success is also reflected by the fact that he was able to buy a house in one of the streets between the Singel and the Herengracht, near the Dam square. Later in 1637 he bought a second house on the Hartenstraat, situated between the Heren and the Keizersgracht, where he had his shop, it was signposted De ebbenhoutwerker.
Cf. R. Baarsen,Wonen in de Gouden Eeuw, Amsterdam, 2007,
pp. 80-109, Herman Doomer en de Amsterdamse ebbenhoutwerkers.
R. Baarsen,Nederlandse Meubelen 1600-1800, Amsterdam, 1993, pp. 36-39.
Although it cannot be confirmed, the cupboard in the Rijksmuseum is most likely to be the cupboard mentioned in the inventory that accompanied the last will and testament of Herman Doomers wife Baertjen Martens. This cupboard listed as groote ebbekas met parlemoer ingeleydt (large ebony cupboard inlaid with mother-of-pearl) was valued at 300 ducats, and was by far the most valuable item on the inventory -which also included the famous portraits of Doomer and his wife by Rembrandt.
Herman Doomer (circa 1595 - 1650).
Herman Doomer was born in Anrath (circa 1595), but was recorded in Amsterdam in 1613, where he stayed until his death in circa 1650. Not much is known about Doomer, whose main reason for fame initially was the portrait painted of him and his wife Baertje Martens by Rembrandt in the 1640's (the portrait of Doomer is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the pendant of his wife in the State Hermitage, St Petersburg). More information can be gleaned from the four wills drawn up by Doomer's wife in 1654, 1662, 1668 and 1677; in her wills she mentions the two portraits by Rembrandt, 26 other paintings by Dutch contemporaries, and of course items of furniture.
Ebony workers in Amsterdam in the early 17th century
In 1613 Herman Doomer started working as an apprentice to the ebbenhoutwerker David Stafmaecker, who begun working ebony in Amsterdam in 1590, and claimed to have taught all those active in this craft in 1625. The name Stafmaecker alludes to the limited uses that ebony was put to in the late 16th century - mainly staffs, small objects and decorative elements for furniture. In the early 17th century the VOC started importing larger quantities of this exotic wood and larger pieces of furniture began to appear - such as armchairs, picture frames and caskets. With this new development these ebony workers started using ebony veneers on oak carcasses, which brought them into conflict with the St Joseph's guild of cabinetmakers. This led to the creation of the ebony workers guild in 1626, after Stafmaecker refuted the protests from the cabinetmaker's guild stating that in order to work ebony and other tropical woods one needed totally different tools, Stafmaecker submitted his protest on behalf of Jan Willemsz. Bus, Herman Dommer and other ebony workers. This document shows that by 1625 Doomer already plays a prominent role within the group of Amsterdam ebony workers, his success is also reflected by the fact that he was able to buy a house in one of the streets between the Singel and the Herengracht, near the Dam square. Later in 1637 he bought a second house on the Hartenstraat, situated between the Heren and the Keizersgracht, where he had his shop, it was signposted De ebbenhoutwerker.
Cf. R. Baarsen,Wonen in de Gouden Eeuw, Amsterdam, 2007,
pp. 80-109, Herman Doomer en de Amsterdamse ebbenhoutwerkers.
R. Baarsen,Nederlandse Meubelen 1600-1800, Amsterdam, 1993, pp. 36-39.