Buffet van coromandelhout 1910

This Coromandel wood Buffet was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, but the exact date remains a mystery. The wood grain on this piece is everything, the way that Cachet has worked with the material is so sensitive, drawing our attention to the process of making. There is an emphasis on the verticality of the wood grain that is not dissimilar to Agnes Martin's lines on canvas. Here, the material is the message; the surface grain is celebrated and enhanced by the crafting process. Look at how the carving around the central drawer echoes the shapes of the handles, the piece is all about these echoes, the repetition of formal gestures. The dark brown of the wood evokes shadows and the kind of hushed tones you get in a drawing, while the grain gives it a tangible, almost tactile quality, like holding a piece of earth in your hands. The Buffet reminds me of the work of Wharton Esherick, who also embraced the grain of the wood in his furniture, playing with form and function. I think that, with this piece, we can appreciate the beauty of the organic, and the ongoing dialogue between art, craft, and the natural world.