63 - ◉ A SOUTH GERMAN TABLE CABINET, PROBABLY NUREMBERG 1590s

◉ A SOUTH GERMAN TABLE CABINET, PROBABLY NUREMBERG 1590s rectangular, the twin doors opening to variously sized drawers with reeded moulding arranged around a cupboard, veneered in ebony, freshwater mother-of-pearl, and probably staghorn and ivory with geometric patterned panels surrounding seven figures from the series ‘Officers and Soldiers’ after Hendrick Goltzius, with softwood carcass and pearwood drawers lined with contemporary red marbled paper, the sprung door catch and carrying handles to sides in gilt-metal, with apparently later iron lock, escutcheons and key, 37 x 54 x 28cm Provenance: General Baron Karl von Preuschen (1862-1925) and his wife Hedwig (née Koehler, 1879–1955) of Darmstadt, Germany; thence by family descent to the vendor. In 1587 Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) published in Haarlem a series of twelve prints ‘Officers and Soldiers of the Bodyguard of Emperor Rudolph II’, the original Goltzius designs engraved by his pupil Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629). The figures on this cabinet, obviously inspired by these prints, depict to exterior left side: ‘Sergeant’; front: ‘Soldier with Arquebus’ and ‘Musketeer’, right side: ‘Provost’; and to the interior from left to right: ‘Lieutenant Colonel’, ‘Standard Bearer’ and ‘Treasurer’. A number of Nuremberg produced firearms are known featuring similar geometric inlays of freshwater mother-of-pearl, the stocks commonly attributed to the so-called ‘Master of the Castles’ (for further details see a wheel-lock holster pistol sold in this room, 28 June 2006, lot 433); also compare a cabinet, similarly patterned but without nacre inlays, sold Bonham’s, London, 10 July 2007, lot 11, where described as Milanese. Whilst comparable cabinets may be found, the closely combined use of ivory, staghorn and freshwater mother-of-pearl inlays seen in this cabinet, particularly on the ‘Standard Bearer’ figure to the cupboard door, is quite remarkable. Ivory Declaration Submission Reference: E6W21JJU