Important German Cabinet In several woods Front... Lot 539

Important German Cabinet In several woods Front with two doors that open to reveal interior with carved Renaissance decoration, twelve drawers and a central articulated niche with fluted columns and demi-lune pigeon holes with urns. Inner side of the doors with rich inlaid decoration depicting historic urban landscapes with ruins, arches, flower motifs and birds. Drawers decorated with panoplies, central door with armor and spears. Exterior inlaid decorated depicting classical arches. The top opens to reveal compartment. Original mounts, profusely decorated iron lock. Augsburg or Nuremberg (South Germany), late 16th, early 17th century This "intarsia" decorated cabinet is a remarkable example of a distinct type of cabinets typical from Augsburg and Nuremberg. This type of work appears in the second half of the 16th century and is known as "schreibtische", which were considered at the time luxury objects and distinguished from the rest of the production for its complex use of different woods depicting landscapes with ruins (Ruinenarchitectur). This decoration was first inspired by the publication in Augsburg, of Lorenz Stoer?s 1567 book "Geometria et Perspektiva", in wich ruins are illustrated specifically for cabinet makers. Several examples are known in public collections. Linked with the important Wrangelschrank - Münsters museum. 58x82x41 cm (closed) 88x165x41cm (opened)