A carved ebony cabinet, probably Ceylon or Batavia, circa 1680-1720

of rectangular form, the front with two hinged doors opening to reveal 13 drawers of various sizes, the wooden surface profusely carved in half relief with scrolling floral vines, the back plain, with later metal mounts, handles and key




80.5 by 91.2 by 54.3cm. (31⅝by 35 15/16 by 21 3/8in.)

Provenance

Francesca Galloway, London, 1999

Catalogue note

Ceylon was renowned for its supply of premium woods such as ebony, calamander and satinwood. Here ebony has been used, a timber that has always been held in high regard. The richly decorated panels carved in half relief reveal the skill of the Sinhalese craftsmen. The scrolling vines issuing forth fleshy leaves and a variety of large, blooming flowers are indicative of the island's vegetal abundance.




The indigenous traditions of wood and ivory-carving in Ceylon had been famous for a long time. Sinhalese carvers were known for producing fine pieces of furniture for export to European markets. Earlier ivory caskets and cabinets being produced in Ceylon under Portuguese patronage often included Christian and European iconography (see Jaffer 2002, cat.no.1, pp.14-15). From 1658, when Ceylon came under Dutch rule, the style of carving changed to large-headed floral decoration which suited Dutch taste. The 17th century was a hugely prosperous time for the Dutch Republic mainly due to the success of their maritime trade. This led to the commissioning of fine works of art and to a new-found appreciation for nature, particularly for rare and exotic blooms. Dutch cabinets being produced in the second half of the 17th century were embellished with floral decoration using the technique of marquetry. The most fashionable and distinctive floral marquetry on furniture with naturalistic depictions using exotic woods has been attributed to the Dutch cabinet maker, Jan van Mekeren (1658-1733). A predilection for large, exotic blooms also existed across the Dutch East India Company’s (VOC) territories and can be seen in the decorative elements that appear on locally produced furniture, silver and textiles (ibid., p.68). This includes the large floral decoration seen on Indian painted chintz fabrics of the late 17th and 18th centuries. These fabrics were being made for the Dutch and the English markets. For an 18th century palampore with a central flowering tree of life and a scrolling floral border with large blooms, see lot 59 in the present sale. Made on the Coromandel Coast of India, it was produced for export to Europe and bears two stamps, one of the English East India Company and a second, slightly smudged, which appears to be that of the Dutch East India Company.




Jan Veenendaal discusses relief carved ebony surfaces in his text Furniture from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, Delft, 1985. He identifies two distinct periods relating to carved detail and references several examples to support this categorisation. Veenendaal dates low-relief carving and pierced decoration from 1650-80 and the half relief carving, as seen in the present lot, to between 1680 and 1720.




Amin Jaffer notes that attempts to distinguish furniture made along the Coromandel Coast from that produced in Ceylon and Batavia during Dutch rule has been done on stylistic similarities. Scholars have divided the furniture into five different types based on the carving and construction of the items (types A-E). Our cabinet would be classified under type E with its bold floral design and the lack of mythical imagery, dense carving in low relief and pierced decoration. According to Jan Veenendaal, although types A-E were all being made along the Coromandel Coast, type E was more likely to be made in Ceylon or Batavia. For further discussion regarding this classification, see Jaffer 2001, pp.133-4.




For examples of carved ebony furniture dated to 1680-1720, including carved ebony chairs, settees, and a small chest, with similar half-relief floral decoration, see Veenendal, 1985, plates 30-36, 45, and 54. A set of four chairs and two settees made in the early 19th century but incorporating panels of this type of decoration taken from 17th century carved ebony furniture were acquired by King George IV in 1828 and are now in the Royal Collection (Jaffer 2001, fig.58, p.131). Another carved ebony chair of similar date and decoration is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no. 413-1882; ibid.; no.4, pp.141-2).




For a small cabinet in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, with ivory panels and silver mounts and comparable floral decoration carved in half relief, thought to be made on the Coromandel Coast and similarly dated, see Veenendal, 1985, plate 58, p.66. See Galloway 2003, nos.20 & 21, for a carved ivory and a carved ebony panel where the decoration is closely comparable to the present lot.




A smaller ebony cabinet, similarly carved in half relief and attributed to the Coromandel Coast or Batavia, which was formerly in the collection of the Berkeley Family at Spetchley House in Worcestershire, sold in these Rooms, 11 December 2019, lot 110. Another comparable smaller Ceylonese ebony cabinet, sold more recently in these Rooms, 26 October 2022, lot 119.