Lotto 1116 - A212 Arti decorative - giovedì, 27. marzo 2025, 13h30
IMPORTANT SINGLE-DOOR CABINET FROM THE FORMER COLLECTION OF WALTHER RATHENAU
Baroque, Germany, probably Berlin, first third of the 18th century. Attributable to the circle of Martin Böhme.
Grained birch and walnut, as well as engraved brass, richly and finely inlaid with leafy vines, strapwork, shells, fillets and a crowned cartouche. Slightly trapezoidal body with a protruding cornice on a cut-out frame and curved legs with volute feet. The four corners with pilasters and carved Corinthian capitals, the front ones slanted. Front with curved door. The side panels cambered. Brass moldings. Iron lock with a key. Lined with blue silk on the inside.
Ca. 133 × 77 × 234 cm.
Provenance:
- collection of Walther Rathenau (1867–1922), Berlin, probably acquired at the above auction.
- by inheritance through his mother and sister, Edith Andreae, as a donation to the Rathenau Foundation, Berlin-Grunewald 1933.
- after the Nazi seizure of power, back into the possession of Edith and Fritz Andreae, probably at Kronberger Strasse 6 in Berlin-Grunewald.
- through the emigration of Edith and Fritz Andreae in Switzerland, from May 1939.
- probably through inheritance in the same family (according to Sotheby's).
- Sotheby's Zurich auction, December 10, 1996, lot 310 (described there as a "very important royal cabinet").
- important Swiss private collection, probably acquired at the above auction.
Literature:
Few missing parts of marquetry and minor losses. Restorations and small additions. Lower part and back panel added in the 19th century.
Interestingly, the cabinet on offer is depicted in a photo from the monthly magazine "Moderne Bauformen" from 1912. The photo was taken in Walther Rathenau's villa in Berlin-Grunewald and shows the cabinet in what was then the salon on the first floor. Walther Rathenau (1867-1922) was a German industrialist, politician, thinker and art connoisseur with Jewish roots. In 1912, Rathenau was elected Chairman of the AEG Supervisory Board. He played an important role during the Weimar Republic, not least as a member of the left-liberal GDP party and, from February 1922, as Foreign Minister. On June 24, 1922, Rathenau was the victim of an assassination attempt motivated by anti-Semitism and right-wing politics.
The cabinet on offer, which came from Walther Rathenau's private art collection, stands out for its unique appearance. The peculiar shape with only one door, the compact base on short volute feet and the high-quality brass inlays, which are reminiscent of the French Boulle technique, are unparalleled in 18th century German furniture art. In the Sotheby's Zurich catalog description (10.12.1996, lot 310), the Berlin court cabinetmaker Martin Böhme is presumed to be the maker of the cabinet on offer based on the use of brass inlays. Böhme came from Eisleben and became a citizen of Berlin in 1723. As court cabinetmaker to Queen Sophie Dorothea, he furnished Monbijou Palace, among other places. According to Sotheby's, the crowned coat of arms cartouche points to a possible royal commission, although this remains a matter of speculation due to the absence of a monogram or coat of arms. The inlay work on the cabinet on offer is probably also based on English models by Thomas Potter, although a direct link is difficult to establish.
The quality as well as the aesthetics of the different woods are accentuated by the fine but also large fillet inlays. This use of wood in combination with the inlaid finely chased brass ornaments, the crowned brass cartouche and the Corinthian capitals are also reminiscent of Carl Maximilian Mattern's work (see Hans-Peter Treschel/Wolf-Christian von der Mülbe: Meisterwerke fränkischer Möbelkunst. Carl Maximilian Mattern, Würzburg 1982).
Interestingly, the cabinet on offer is depicted in a photo from the monthly magazine "Moderne Bauformen" from 1912. The photo was taken in Walther Rathenau's villa in Berlin-Grunewald and shows the cabinet in what was then the salon on the first floor. Walther Rathenau (1867-1922) was a German industrialist, politician, thinker and art connoisseur with Jewish roots. In 1912, Rathenau was elected Chairman of the AEG Supervisory Board. He played an important role during the Weimar Republic, not least as a member of the left-liberal GDP party and, from February 1922, as Foreign Minister. On June 24, 1922, Rathenau was the victim of an assassination attempt motivated by anti-Semitism and right-wing politics.
The cabinet on offer, which came from Walther Rathenau's private art collection, stands out for its unique appearance. The peculiar shape with only one door, the compact base on short volute feet and the high-quality brass inlays, which are reminiscent of the French Boulle technique, are unparalleled in 18th century German furniture art. In the Sotheby's Zurich catalog description (10.12.1996, lot 310), the Berlin court cabinetmaker Martin Böhme is presumed to be the maker of the cabinet on offer based on the use of brass inlays. Böhme came from Eisleben and became a citizen of Berlin in 1723. As court cabinetmaker to Queen Sophie Dorothea, he furnished Monbijou Palace, among other places. According to Sotheby's, the crowned coat of arms cartouche points to a possible royal commission, although this remains a matter of speculation due to the absence of a monogram or coat of arms. The inlay work on the cabinet on offer is probably also based on English models by Thomas Potter, although a direct link is difficult to establish.
The quality as well as the aesthetics of the different woods are accentuated by the fine but also large fillet inlays. This use of wood in combination with the inlaid finely chased brass ornaments, the crowned brass cartouche and the Corinthian capitals are also reminiscent of Carl Maximilian Mattern's work (see Hans-Peter Treschel/Wolf-Christian von der Mülbe: Meisterwerke fränkischer Möbelkunst. Carl Maximilian Mattern, Würzburg 1982).
CHF 10 000 / 15 000 | (€ 10 310 / 15 460)
Venduto per CHF 15 000 (incl. premio)