A Royal Danish bureau cabinet
A Royal Danish gilt bronze mounted carved giltwood, tortoiseshell, brass, pewter, bone and fruitwood inlaid marquetry bureau cabinet. The upper section with a two-tiered pierced rocaille carved giltwood cresting and brackets, the moulded cupboard door with a central panel depicting a royal procession within an architectural setting, opening to a mirrored and red tortoiseshell-inlaid interior fitted with carved brackets, shells and rocaille, the sides applied with foliage and flower cast gilt-bronze carrying handles, above a fall-front enclosing a green felt writing surface, the recess fitted with eight drawers; the lower section with carved giltwood pierced rocaille and flower-head chutes, the two drawers with elaborate finely cast gilt-bronze handles and escutcheons, the sides also with carrying handles, raised on straight legs with carved giltwood sabots; inlaid overall with ebony-framed flowerheads, scrolls, rocaille and trelliswork reserves. C. 1750. H. 226 cm. W. 95 cm. D. 49 cm.
This bureau cabinet, of refined quality and fascinating design, is not only an example of royal patronage from the Danish court, but also an intimate love declaration from a Queen to her departed husband. The bureau cabinet was most probably made by the Royal Cabinetmaker Dietrich Schäffer and commissioned by the Danish Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene around 1750. It was commissioned for Hirschholm Palace, which at the time was considered "the Versailles of the North” and bears the joint monogram of King Christian VI (1699–1746, king 1730–1746 ) and his queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1700–1770).
Provenance: Danish private collection.
Thence by descent at Ravnholt manor, Funen.
Literature: H. C. Rosted, Hirschholm: Et kongeslot og dets skæbne, Copenhagen, G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1963, pp. 144–45, illustrates the bureau cabinet. Related literature:
M. Bencard, Silver Furniture, Rosenborg, 1992;
C. Christensen, Hørsholms Historie, fra 1305 til 1875, Copenhagen, 1976 (facsimile);
“Dietricht Schaffer”, in S. Hartmann, Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon, Copenhagen, 1994–2000, p. 377;
K. Voss, Arkitekten Nicolai Eigtved 1701–1754, Copenhagen, 1971.
Rigsarkivet, Reviderede Regnskaber, Kongelige Slotte og Haver, 1721–1849, Hirschholm (Hørsholm), 1721 Inventarieregnskaber–1725 mm, 571/1.
Related bureau cabinet made by Dietrich Schäffer at Rosenborg castel, 1 floor, room no. 12, no. 1210.
Condition report on request. Please contact: furniture@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Furniture, carpets and varia, 27 November 2019
Not sold