Precious Time: A Cabinet Clock from Augsburg, 1700-1725

Cabinet Clock
1700-1725
Augsburg (Made)
Meissen (Tea Set, Made)
This and all related images courtesy of
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This artful arrangement of wood, boulle marquetry, tortoiseshell, silver, silver-gilt, inlaid mother-of-pearl, ivory, enamel, brass, pietre dure, faceted garnets, turquoise, micromosaic, velvet, porcelain, mirrored glass, gilt bronze, and oil paint on copper sheeting makes for one very involved, brilliant timepiece.


This monumental cabinet clock comes from Augsburg. Both Augsburg and Nuremberg were hubs of important clock making from the 1650 through 1750. Master craftsmen from a variety of media would join forces to create majestic and unusual cases for the clock. This, surely, is one of the finest examples of their capabilities.

Truly extraordinary, this cabinet clock is comprises of nearly twenty costly different materials. Coupled with the high cost of labor for such a piece, surely this was a royal or, at least, noble commission. We don’t know for whom the clock was originally produced, however, the curators at the V&A have determined that this was the same clock that once belonged to Lord Rosebery, British Prime Minister from 1894-5, as evidenced by photographs of the Lord from that time period (see the black and white picture detail below).

Though the clock is certainly interesting in all that’s apparent, from the little Buddha figures to the impressive inlay-work, it also contains some hidden treasures which aren’t immediately seen. For example, a neatly in-set drawer contains a Meissen tea set in a pattern which matches the clock as well as a silver picture frame.

This was a gift to the V&A from Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde—two of the world's foremost decorative arts collectors, and was included in their 1996 bequest of silver, mosaics, enameled portrait miniatures and gold boxes.

The Home Beautiful: The Hamilton Palace Screen, 1670-1700

Japanese Eight-Panel Screen, 1670-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

NOTE: I don't know what's up with the font on this post.  If I make it smaller, it's microscopic, if I leave it "normal," it's like a child's picture book.  I give up.  You'll notice some of the posts lately are having font weirdness.  I'll have to work on it.  In the meantime...


I call dibs on this in case the V&A ever wants to unload it. This six-paneled screen is adorned with a landscape design featuring buildings, figures, trees, birds and monkeys. The figures depicted are: men fishing at a river; a man walking with a stick; a man carrying a bag on a stick and women in brightly colored clothing sitting by a river. The scene comes alive with gold houses on hills, trees with shining monkeys nestled in the branches, a wise owl in a tree, birds in flight, and flowers with their glistening petals inlaid with gleaming shell. The images all glimmer in gold, silver and red on a dark lacquer ground in the fashionable technique of japanning. Each panel is attached to the next with metal foil and stud hinges.


This decorative screen, used for privacy or to divide a portion of a room (or simply to look pretty) was made in Japan between 1670 and 1700. It is believed that the screen may have come from the collection of Hamilton Palace. This important collection included many pieces previously owned by William Beckford (1760-1844) including the Van Diemen box and the Mazarin Chest.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Birley-Randell Marble Table, 1862

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The International Exhibition of 1862 in London revisited some of the artistic triumphs of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Manufacturers and artists from across the world sought to show their skills. S. Birley of Derbyshire made this table for the Exhibition. The magnificent work of pietra dura won prizes in the furniture and the mining classes.

Samuel Birley was known for gorgeous inlaid marble objects which imitated the Italian mosaic inlaying technique that had been prized for centuries since being developed for Italy’s powerful Medici family. This is one of Birley’s most exceptional pieces--thin polished slices of hardstone and semi-precious stone have been used to create a brilliantly colored, naturalistic pattern of flowers and foliage. The design, much admired by Queen Victoria, was created by Birley’s associate, J. Randell.

Matthew Digby Wyatt, in judging the group, compared Birley's table with the pietra dura exhibited by the Italian firms in attendance. He said, “Many very good samples of the usual imitations of flowers, &c., inlaid in black marble for table tops and cabinets, are contributed by various Florentine manufacturers, amongst whom the jury specially noted the houses of Barzanti, Betti, and Rinaldini. In the same class of goods the table top exhibited by our solitary producer in the same line, Mr. Samuel Birley, of Ashford, Derbyshire, was much admired. Observations were, however, made upon the inequality of scale in which the centre group of flowers and the surrounding wreath had been worked out.”

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Putti Cabinet, 1855

Cabinet
Jackson and Graham, 1855
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This handsome cabinet was not made for domestic use, but rather as a sample of the ingenuity and talents of the craftsmen and designers of the London furnishing firm of Jackson and Graham. Made in the Eighteenth Century style, the cabinet was presented at the Paris International Exhibition of 1855 where it was heralded for its fineness.

The 1855 catalog notes of the cabinet that “the interior is finished with as much care as the exterior, being of satin-wood inlaid with tulip-wood and the fronts of the drawers inlaid with ivory and panelled, the panels being fitted with finely-chased and gilded metal-work.”  

The stars of the show are the three porcelain mounts depicting putti representing the arts.  These panels are mounted in gilt moldings which echo the shape of the central mirror.

The piece was designed by Alexandre Prignot (born 1822) who had been the chief designer for Jackson and Graham from 1849 to 1855. This piece was one of his final triumphs. The ceramics were supplied by Minton & Co. while Elkington & Co, offered the electroplated mounts. Cope and Collinson provided the casters.

The marquetry, giltwood, and inlays of marble and porcelain drew much positive attention and praise at the 1855 exhibition as did the mirror which surmounted the cabinet. 

The Home Beautiful: The Hamilton Palace Screen, 1670-1700

Japanese Eight-Panel Screen, 1670-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I call dibs on this in case the V&A ever wants to unload it. This six-paneled screen is adorned with a landscape design featuring buildings, figures, trees, birds and monkeys. The figures depicted are: men fishing at a river; a man walking with a stick; a man carrying a bag on a stick and women in brightly colored clothing sitting by a river. The scene comes alive with gold houses on hills, trees with shining monkeys nestled in the branches, a wise owl in a tree, birds in flight, and flowers with their glistening petals inlaid with gleaming shell. The images all glimmer in gold, silver and red on a dark lacquer ground in the fashionable technique of japanning. Each panel is attached to the next with metal foil and stud hinges.

This decorative screen, used for privacy or to divide a portion of a room (or simply to look pretty) was made in Japan between 1670 and 1700. It is believed that the screen may have come from the collection of Hamilton Palace. This important collection included many pieces previously owned by William Beckford (1760-1844) including the Van Diemen box and the Mazarin Chest.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Tortoiseshell Box

Box
Gold, Silver, Tortoiseshell
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

An Eighteenth-Century creation of unknown origin, this cartouche-shaped box is crafted of tortoiseshell. The lid connect to the base by silver hinges on a gold band rim. Both cover and base are piqué with silver posé and foules point—essentially meaning that the adornment is slightly raised.

The cover depicts a scene of Venus seated with Cupid amongst a floral pattern. The base shows a hunting scene of hound and hare with a similar scrolling foliate border.

There’s no record in the inventory of the Royal Collection which states how or why this box came into Royal hands, but, if I had my guess, I’d say it had something to do with Queen Mary.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Christmas Table, 1855

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This table, created in the style of Louis XVI features marquetry of tulipwood among other woods, with mounts of gilded and silvered bronze and a frieze set with a porcelain plaque

Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901) ordered this small French table as a Christmas present for her husband, Prince Albert, in 1855. The porcelain plaque on the front frieze shows their joint monogram, ‘VA’.

The gift of the table was meant as a souvenir of their state visit to the Emperor Napoleon III in France earlier in 1855, a visit which also coincided with the Exposition Universelle in Paris. This elaborate exhibition was France’s pointed response to the British success of the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Queen Victoria visited the Paris exhibition three times, enjoying it immensely. However, she did not order this table until she returned to London. The table is the work of the firm of Edouard Kreisser. It was accompanied by a matching cabinet. Both the table and the cabinet were known to be at Osborne House in the late-nineteenth—located in the Small Drawing Room or Audience Room. It is not known when or how the table left the Royal Collection, but I have no doubt that Queen Mary didn’t know it was missing or she’d have found a way to get it back.

The table resurfaced in 1964 when it was known to be with the dealers of Kerrins in London. It was then purchased by Mr. George Farrow, who presented it to the V&A.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: The Prince Albert Chair, 1851

The Prince Albert Chair
English, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Prince Albert’s role in the Great Exhibition of 1851 cannot be discounted. This chair commemorates the Prince Consort’s leadership. This large armchair of carved and inlaid walnut with its painted porcelain plaque and arms and seat covered in fringed pink cotton velvet was designed as a companion to a light, feminine chair representing the Queen.

The porcelain plaque depicts the Prince Consort and serves as a reminder of his tireless work in the planning the Great Exhibition. Further homage to the Prince comes from carved emblems such as the lion, rose, shamrock and thistle on the back of the chair.

This is the work of Henry Eyles who displayed the chair with other examples of his work in Class XXVI (Furniture). Eyles was an upholsterer in Bath with premises at 31 Broad Street whose work was received favorable by the Queen and her consort.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Condesa de Valencia de Don Juan Armchair, 1790-1800

Armchair
Once owned by the Condesa de Valencia de Don Juan
Madrid, 1890-1890 or 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When this elaborate and intricately-made chair was first given to the V&A in 1919, it was thought to have been made in Vienna.  However, recent research into the piece has shown that it is both visually and physically close to furniture designed for the court in Madrid between about 1790 and 1795. Still, since new ideas were spreading throughout Europe with before unheard of speed in the late Eighteenth Century, it is not surprising that very similar designs were made in Vienna around 1806 by Gottfried August Pohle.

The chair has been cleverly designed to showcase a range of different wood tones and metal mounts. Take, for instance, the central star, with its high carving and the tiny carved “swags” of fabric inside the upper arch of the back. These are crafted in darker wood against the lighter mahogany of the rest of the chair. The whole of the chair, including the outlining of the legs, is made more exciting with metal fillets, and ribbed gilt-bronze plaques.  The upholstery, a complex, damask of an unusual design—which is thought to be original--even highlights the design of the chair.  Stuffed with horsehair, the curve of the seat echoes the silhouette of the chair's impressive crest.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Hamilton Palace Screen, 1670-1700

Japanese Eight-Panel Screen, 1670-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I call dibs on this in case the V&A ever wants to unload it. This six-paneled screen is adorned with a landscape design featuring buildings, figures, trees, birds and monkeys. The figures depicted are: men fishing at a river; a man walking with a stick; a man carrying a bag on a stick and women in brightly colored clothing sitting by a river. The scene comes alive with gold houses on hills, trees with shining monkeys nestled in the branches, a wise owl in a tree, birds in flight, and flowers with their glistening petals inlaid with gleaming shell. The images all glimmer in gold, silver and red on a dark lacquer ground in the fashionable technique of japanning. Each panel is attached to the next with metal foil and stud hinges.

This decorative screen, used for privacy or to divide a portion of a room (or simply to look pretty) was made in Japan between 1670 and 1700. It is believed that the screen may have come from the collection of Hamilton Palace. This important collection included many pieces previously owned by William Beckford (1760-1844) including the Van Diemen box and the Mazarin Chest.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Birley-Randell Marble Table, 1862

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The International Exhibition of 1862 in London revisited some of the artistic triumphs of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Manufacturers and artists from across the world sought to show their skills. S. Birley of Derbyshire made this table for the Exhibition. The magnificent work of pietra dura won prizes in the furniture and the mining classes.

Samuel Birley was known for gorgeous inlaid marble objects which imitated the Italian mosaic inlaying technique that had been prized for centuries since being developed for Italy’s powerful Medici family. This is one of Birley’s most exceptional pieces--thin polished slices of hardstone and semi-precious stone have been used to create a brilliantly colored, naturalistic pattern of flowers and foliage. The design, much admired by Queen Victoria, was created by Birley’s associate, J. Randell.

Matthew Digby Wyatt, in judging the group, compared Birley's table with the pietra dura exhibited by the Italian firms in attendance. He said, “Many very good samples of the usual imitations of flowers, &c., inlaid in black marble for table tops and cabinets, are contributed by various Florentine manufacturers, amongst whom the jury specially noted the houses of Barzanti, Betti, and Rinaldini. In the same class of goods the table top exhibited by our solitary producer in the same line, Mr. Samuel Birley, of Ashford, Derbyshire, was much admired. Observations were, however, made upon the inequality of scale in which the centre group of flowers and the surrounding wreath had been worked out.”

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Papier-Mâché Folder from The Crystal Palace, 1851

Click image to enlarge.

Souvenir of the Great Exhibition
Jennens and Bettridge, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A folder like this one, made of papier-mâché, would have been made as a decorative way to contain note or blotting paper. Items such as these folder perfectly lent themselves to being made as souvenirs or commemorative objects which would have been both affordable and useful.

This one dates to 1851 and was made as a souvenir of the Great Exhibition. The front of the notebook is set with a view of the Crystal Palace which has been reverse-painted under glass. The reverse of the painting has been silvered which serves to turn the painting into a mirror and affords a certain sparkle to the Crystal Palace—replicating how the massive glass structure must have really looked when reflected in the sunlight.

The folder itself is crafted of japanned papier-mâché which has been decorated with mother-of-pearl roses—a technique popularized around 1772 when Henry Clay of Birmingham invented a new method of manufacturing japanned items in the Chinoiserie style. Clay’s method involved the pressing of sheets of heat-resisting paper into wooden moulds. The resulting object was smoothed, providing a warp-free surface ideal for japanning—a decorating technique wherein pigment is suspended in a varnish medium in an imitation of oriental lacquer. Inlay of mother-of-pearl had long been the favored adornment for these pieces. By 1825, the firm had patented this inlay technique. And, soon, the Asian-inspired scenes gave way to decidedly Western themes of flowers, castles, landscapes, animals and naturalistic patterns.

This is just one of the many different papier-mâché articles which were offered as souvenirs of the Crystal Palace. It was made by Jennens and Bettridge, who had bought Clay's factory in 1816. The duo also had one of the main displays at the Great Exhibition—showcasing their wares and directing people to their souvenirs. 

The Home Beautiful: A Bureau Mazarin, 1685-1700

Bureau Mazarin
Marquetry of brass, ebony, ivory, mother-of-pearl and shell
French, 1685-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This type of writing desk which features eight legs and a bank of drawers flanking an opening meant to accommodate the knees is known today as a “bureau Mazarin.”  This term became popular in the Nineteenth-Century, and we should note that these desks have no real connection to those made in the era of Louis XIV and France's chief minister at the time, Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661).  This style of desk didn’t come into fashion until the 1670s.  So, it’s curious that the Cardinal’s name began to be used to describe the fashion during the 1800s.

Many surviving bureaux Mazarins are some of the best examples of the fine craftsmanship of Seventeenth-Century French ébénistes (cabinet-makers) and several models are listed in the inventories of the palace of Versailles.  The desks often doubled as dressing tables.  

This bureau Mazarin, in marquetry of brass, ebony, ivory, mother-of pearl and clear tortoiseshell or horn, boats a central drawer and door which is flanked on either side by three drawers, supported respectively by four scroll legs terminating in a stretcher.  It was made between 1685-1700 in Paris by Vanrisamburgh, Bernard I (1655-1738).