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Lot Essay
This stunning bureau cabinet is the embodiment of the Chinoiserie craze sweeping through the German states starting in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Decorated to resemble Asian porcelain itself with a great attention to detail and accuracy, it once most likely adorned an interior designed to showcase the extensive porcelain collection of an aristocratic patron.
DAGLY AND GERMAN JAPANNING
The most distinctive feature of this cabinet, and what makes it truly spectacular, is its extremely refined and delicate polychrome decoration. Most common in the German states in the eighteenth century, and seen on a north German medal cabinet offered in this collection as lot 526, is the rare white-ground japanning distinguishing this bureau cabinet from most polychrome-decorated case furnishing produced in England at the time. Although ivory-japanned pieces were produced in England, such as a Queen Anne longcase clock with a movement by Daniel Quare sold Christie's, London, 9 April 1987, lot 60 (£200,000), decoration of this color scheme was much more common in the Germany.
Throughout the 1700s, among all of Europe’s ruling classes the German elite was probably the most enamored with Asian, and later European, porcelain and created entire interiors, or even buildings, for the display of their collections. Among the most well-known of such projects are Augustus the Strong’s Japanische Palais in Dresden and the Porzellanzimmern at Schloss Charlottenburg and Oranienburg. These interiors sometimes featured pseudo-Asian decoration or western-type furnishings decorated with Asian themes, just as the painted panels believed to hail from Schloss Pillnitz and removed from the dining room of Mrs. Getty as lot 441. The craftsmen responsible for the decoration of the Getty cabinet certainly followed Chinoiserie trends. However, instead of inventing capricious scenes and mythical flora and fauna in the Chinese taste, as was customary in England and Italy, they seem to have studied and copied Asian porcelain wares in great detail. This type of faithful imitation is particularly apparent on the doors of the upper sections and the drawers of the interior. This delicate polychrome decoration over a white ground makes the cabinet, in spite of its robust form, appear particularly graceful and elegant and renders it porcelain-like. Both the figural and the abstract polychrome decoration is true to Asian prototypes, suggesting that the craftsmen responsible for the work had access to Chinese and Japanese porcelain, which they could study in detail before decorating this cabinet.
Such spectacular decoration must have been executed by an experienced craftsman well-trained in the art of japanning. The decoration of this cabinet is closely related to the oeuvre of Gerhard Dagly (c. 1653- c. 1715) and his workshop. Dagly who was active in Berlin in the early eighteen century, is known to have been less bound by Chinoiserie stereotypes than his contemporaries in Dresden, which was recognized as the center for the creation of japanned furniture in Germany. Dagly became celebrated following his appointment in Berlin in the 1680s as Kammerkünstler to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg. Dagly was afterwards appointed Intendant des Ornements at the court of Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, later Frederick I of Prussia, see H. Huth, 'Lacquer Work by Gerhard Dagly', Connoisseur, vol. 95, 1935, p.14. Dagly and his brother Jacques provided japanned furnishings of exceptional quality to Frederick I and his court, on one occasion the Kurfürstin of Hanover sending an English clock-case to her son-in-law and feeling bound to mention that 'Dagly makes much better ones,' see H. Honour, Chinoiserie: The Vision of Cathay, London, 1961, p. 66. Dagly left Berlin for Paris in 1713 but his workshop is believed to have continued. A number of white and cream-japanned works with decoration comparable to that of the Getty cabinet by Dagly and his workshop have survived, including a harpsichord and a cabinet-on-stand in Schloss Charlottenburg; a pair of trunks, see Hampel, Munich, 3 December 2020, lot 69; a table in the Chinese Pavilion at Sanssouci, see H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, vol. II, Munich, 1970, fig. 12; and a cabinet-on-stand illustrated in H. Huth, Lacquer of the West, Chicago, 1971, fig. 160.
Although the overall form and certain aspects of the construction might suggest England as the place of manufacture of this bureau cabinet, the shape of the cornice and the spectacular white ground decoration establish Germany as its origin. With its porcelain-like appearance, this cabinet would have blended seamlessly with the Asian lacquer and ceramic collection of any German prince, possibly even in an interior conceived in the Chinoiserie taste.
A QUESTION OF ATTRIBUTION
When sold in 1987, this cabinet was described as an English work produced during the reign of George I. However, while its pristine and precise construction suggest England as place of manufacture, the accurately-painted decoration over a rare white-ground is typical of German workshops. At first glance, this cabinet could be the work of a German émigré cabinetmaker working in London. In fact, the Hanoverian era during the first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a considerable cultural exchange between England and the protestant states of north Germany that made its impact on the decorative arts. Cabinet-making was no exception and craftsmen of German origin crossed the Channel in hopes of finding gainful employment in England. It has been suggested that, unlike their French counterparts, émigré cabinet-makers of German origin tended to anglicize their names once settled in England, making it hard to distinguish them from local craftsmen. Some of the known examples of name-changes are those of Henry Deckard (Deickard) and Heinrich Steinield (Steinfeldt) (see C. Gilbert and T. Murdoch, John Channon and Brass-Inlaid Furniture, 1730-1760. New Haven, 1993, p. 31.) One of the most well-known cabinet-makers of German origin was Peter Miller (d. 1729), who operated his workshop from a leasehold in the Savoy, a small province free from many of the regulations of the City of London and Livery Companies. Probably born Peter Müller, his work can be characterized by typical English construction executed with the greatest precision and care. This cabinet's simple circular pulls and distinctive drawer construction with finely rebated bottom panels are, in fact, typical of Miller’s work.
DAGLY AND GERMAN JAPANNING
The most distinctive feature of this cabinet, and what makes it truly spectacular, is its extremely refined and delicate polychrome decoration. Most common in the German states in the eighteenth century, and seen on a north German medal cabinet offered in this collection as lot 526, is the rare white-ground japanning distinguishing this bureau cabinet from most polychrome-decorated case furnishing produced in England at the time. Although ivory-japanned pieces were produced in England, such as a Queen Anne longcase clock with a movement by Daniel Quare sold Christie's, London, 9 April 1987, lot 60 (£200,000), decoration of this color scheme was much more common in the Germany.
Throughout the 1700s, among all of Europe’s ruling classes the German elite was probably the most enamored with Asian, and later European, porcelain and created entire interiors, or even buildings, for the display of their collections. Among the most well-known of such projects are Augustus the Strong’s Japanische Palais in Dresden and the Porzellanzimmern at Schloss Charlottenburg and Oranienburg. These interiors sometimes featured pseudo-Asian decoration or western-type furnishings decorated with Asian themes, just as the painted panels believed to hail from Schloss Pillnitz and removed from the dining room of Mrs. Getty as lot 441. The craftsmen responsible for the decoration of the Getty cabinet certainly followed Chinoiserie trends. However, instead of inventing capricious scenes and mythical flora and fauna in the Chinese taste, as was customary in England and Italy, they seem to have studied and copied Asian porcelain wares in great detail. This type of faithful imitation is particularly apparent on the doors of the upper sections and the drawers of the interior. This delicate polychrome decoration over a white ground makes the cabinet, in spite of its robust form, appear particularly graceful and elegant and renders it porcelain-like. Both the figural and the abstract polychrome decoration is true to Asian prototypes, suggesting that the craftsmen responsible for the work had access to Chinese and Japanese porcelain, which they could study in detail before decorating this cabinet.
Such spectacular decoration must have been executed by an experienced craftsman well-trained in the art of japanning. The decoration of this cabinet is closely related to the oeuvre of Gerhard Dagly (c. 1653- c. 1715) and his workshop. Dagly who was active in Berlin in the early eighteen century, is known to have been less bound by Chinoiserie stereotypes than his contemporaries in Dresden, which was recognized as the center for the creation of japanned furniture in Germany. Dagly became celebrated following his appointment in Berlin in the 1680s as Kammerkünstler to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg. Dagly was afterwards appointed Intendant des Ornements at the court of Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, later Frederick I of Prussia, see H. Huth, 'Lacquer Work by Gerhard Dagly', Connoisseur, vol. 95, 1935, p.14. Dagly and his brother Jacques provided japanned furnishings of exceptional quality to Frederick I and his court, on one occasion the Kurfürstin of Hanover sending an English clock-case to her son-in-law and feeling bound to mention that 'Dagly makes much better ones,' see H. Honour, Chinoiserie: The Vision of Cathay, London, 1961, p. 66. Dagly left Berlin for Paris in 1713 but his workshop is believed to have continued. A number of white and cream-japanned works with decoration comparable to that of the Getty cabinet by Dagly and his workshop have survived, including a harpsichord and a cabinet-on-stand in Schloss Charlottenburg; a pair of trunks, see Hampel, Munich, 3 December 2020, lot 69; a table in the Chinese Pavilion at Sanssouci, see H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, vol. II, Munich, 1970, fig. 12; and a cabinet-on-stand illustrated in H. Huth, Lacquer of the West, Chicago, 1971, fig. 160.
Although the overall form and certain aspects of the construction might suggest England as the place of manufacture of this bureau cabinet, the shape of the cornice and the spectacular white ground decoration establish Germany as its origin. With its porcelain-like appearance, this cabinet would have blended seamlessly with the Asian lacquer and ceramic collection of any German prince, possibly even in an interior conceived in the Chinoiserie taste.
A QUESTION OF ATTRIBUTION
When sold in 1987, this cabinet was described as an English work produced during the reign of George I. However, while its pristine and precise construction suggest England as place of manufacture, the accurately-painted decoration over a rare white-ground is typical of German workshops. At first glance, this cabinet could be the work of a German émigré cabinetmaker working in London. In fact, the Hanoverian era during the first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a considerable cultural exchange between England and the protestant states of north Germany that made its impact on the decorative arts. Cabinet-making was no exception and craftsmen of German origin crossed the Channel in hopes of finding gainful employment in England. It has been suggested that, unlike their French counterparts, émigré cabinet-makers of German origin tended to anglicize their names once settled in England, making it hard to distinguish them from local craftsmen. Some of the known examples of name-changes are those of Henry Deckard (Deickard) and Heinrich Steinield (Steinfeldt) (see C. Gilbert and T. Murdoch, John Channon and Brass-Inlaid Furniture, 1730-1760. New Haven, 1993, p. 31.) One of the most well-known cabinet-makers of German origin was Peter Miller (d. 1729), who operated his workshop from a leasehold in the Savoy, a small province free from many of the regulations of the City of London and Livery Companies. Probably born Peter Müller, his work can be characterized by typical English construction executed with the greatest precision and care. This cabinet's simple circular pulls and distinctive drawer construction with finely rebated bottom panels are, in fact, typical of Miller’s work.