A monumental Dutch ormolu-mounted padauk and amboyna cabinet

A monumental Dutch ormolu-mounted padauk and amboyna cabinet, Third quarter 18th century, 265x213x75 cm, Provenance: formerly on loan at Slot Zuylen, Oud-Zuilen. The shaped moulded cornice centred by a scallop console, above a pair of panelled doors decorated with carved scallops and foliate scroll mouldings, flanked by conforming rounded corners, enclosing a fitted interior with three shelves and five drawers, above three further drawers flanked by hinged knees, each enclosing four hidden drawers, on bracket feet.This large Dutch cabinet, made during the third quarter of the 18th century, is an example of exceptionally fine craftsmanship. The piece is veneered with two types of colonial hardwood: while the larger surfaces are finished with padauk wood, which can be recognised by its deep orange-brown colour, the top, middle and lower mouldings are veneered with amboyna burl. These two wood types actually belong to the same genus of Pterocarpus, which is subdivided in various species native to regions ranging from West-Africa to Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the Andaman Islands. Moreover, this cabinet stands out for a few other interesting features; in addition to its rounded and panelled front corners and the finely shaped bracket feet, the lower section of the piece has two hinged ‘knees’, each enclosing four hidden drawers. ,