Table cabinet c. 1560 - 1570

0:00

carving, wood

wood texture

carving

furniture

wood background

11_renaissance

wooden texture

wood

decorative-art

Dimensions 26 5/8 × 38 7/8 × 16 7/16 in. (67.63 × 98.74 × 41.75 cm) (closed)

This remarkable table cabinet, crafted by an anonymous hand, is a testament to the enduring power of symbols. The marquetry is teeming with motifs, most notably the central scene of a combat between figures. These duels echo ancient gladiatorial contests, reflecting a timeless fascination with conflict and resolution. Notice how these symbols, these echoes of valor and struggle, are not confined to a single era. Similar images appear in Roman mosaics, medieval tapestries, and even early Renaissance paintings. Each iteration carries the weight of its predecessors, yet adapts to the cultural nuances of its time. The emotional resonance of such scenes is profound. They tap into our collective memory, evoking primal instincts of survival, dominance, and the will to overcome. It is through this continuous re-emergence and transformation that symbols like these maintain their potency. These images surface through the ages. The human drama remains eternally compelling.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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Elaborately veneered cabinets were a specialty of German cabinetmakers in the 1500s and 1600s, appealing to titled and wealthy patrons across Europe. The most sumptuous, like this one, were made in Augsburg, a city of wealth and sophistication, and were prized as much for the materials, scale, and complexity of their decoration as for the precious objects inside. Every surface of this cabinet is veneered, with several varieties of wood cut and pieced together like a puzzle. The imagery is based on engravings of the time, such as armored figures in close combat, slaying mythical creatures—including a unicorn and a dragon—or hunting wild animals. These scenes are set against a dense background of scrolling decoration and leaves inhabited by fruit, flowers, birds, and other creatures, as well as symbols of military might.