Lot 959 Dα

The Frankfurt guild regulations in effect as of 1686 describe the following stipulations for attaining master status “candidates from outside the guild who do not marry daughters or widows of other guild members must, alongside the usual window frame, also complete an ornate cabinet with freestanding columns at the corners. Those who are masters' sons or who marry daughters or widows of other guild members must complete the window frame and either the above mentioned cabinet or another cabinet with three columns or pillars”. Thus, various forms of breakfront architectural cabinets developed throughout the 18th century. All had the shared characteristic of a richly differentiated surface, divided into sections by intricate mouldings. As Heinrich Kreisel describes, these forms became more sinuous as the century went on. The designs were dominated by smooth surfaces separated by pronounced moulded elements. The tops of these cabinets were always flat, but with a heavy breakfront pediment.
The form of this cabinet not only adheres strictly to the old guild regulations, but also to the taste and motifs of the early 18th century. However, in the décor, the Rococo taste is in full bloom. The inlaid figures after Bellaigue cannot have been designed before 1740, and their clothing also expresses the fashion of the era. The maquetry panels may have been completed by a specialist, and Kreisel postulates the hand of Johann Christian Klang, who is known to have carried out similar motifs.
A highly similar parallel piece to the present work is kept in the James A. de Rothschild Collection in Waddesdon Manor. The work bears similar dimensions, proportions and décor, and is inscribed to the inside of the door: "Dieses Meisterstück wurde gemacht im Jahre 1772 vom Schreiner Schilling". The marquetry only varies from the present work in details, although the feet and lock plate differ. It is presumed that this lot is a direct copy of the “master piece” and therefore cannot have been made before 1772.