Dutch Cabinets on Stand: Construction, Marquetry and Dating

The cabinet on stand became a major display and storage form in seventeenth-century Dutch interiors. A large two-door cabinet box was raised on an open stand, often with turned supports and stretchers. Cabinets and stands are frequently separated or reconstructed, so they must be assessed independently.

Cabinet construction

The upper cabinet may use an oak or softwood carcass with walnut, ebony, olivewood or other veneer. Doors can be panelled, moulded, marquetried or lacquered.

Inside may be shelves, drawers or fitted compartments. Backboards and door construction are especially useful for comparison.

The stand

Stands can have baluster or spiral-turned legs, bun feet, cross stretchers and one or more drawers. The stand is not merely decorative; it must carry a heavy box without distortion.

Compare cabinet and stand for timber, finish, fixing holes, width and wear. A later stand may be appropriate but should be described.

Decoration

Late seventeenth-century cabinets may carry floral marquetry, geometric veneer or European lacquer imitation. The Rijksmuseum documents a cabinet on stand of about 1670–1700 with lacquer scenes and mother-of-pearl accents.

Herman Doomer produced exceptional show cabinets earlier in the century, but most Dutch cabinets are anonymous.

Identification

Inspect:

• carcass timber under veneer;
• hidden door joints;
• backboards;
• hinge positions;
• cabinet-to-stand fixings;
• drawer construction;
• feet and stretcher replacements;
• old reduction or widening.

Large cabinets were altered to fit later rooms. Tops and cornices may also be reconstructed.

Attribution cautions

Dutch, English and German cabinet forms influenced one another. Floral marquetry or bun feet alone are not national proof.

Rijksmuseum research shows visually similar Dutch marquetry doors can differ greatly in internal construction.

Restoration

Secure loose veneer before moving the cabinet. Separate the upper box from the stand only with enough people and proper support.

Do not assume dark varnish is original. Preserve unfaded areas beneath mounts and inside doors.

Sources

• Rijksmuseum, cabinet on stand, about 1670–1700: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/Cabinet-on-stand--2d6d839adaae70a7b1249bcfc90a6bd0
• Rijksmuseum, Dutch marquetry furniture research: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/research/our-research/conservation-science/furniture/dutch-marquetry
• Rijksmuseum, monumental cabinets by Herman Doomer: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/monumental-cabinets
• Rijksmuseum, furniture collection: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/node/furniture--0d98e2a5523e8ea4a59150dc4137f702