Kast (cabinet)
ca. 1640 - 50
"Carryers of the World" was novelist Daniel Defoe's description of the Dutch, who had developed a prosperous maritime trade in the second half of the seventeenth century. The homes of prosperous Dutch burghers, the great merchants of Europe at this time, prominently featured kasten, a form of tall cupboard, on which Chinese porcelain, Delftware, metalwork or glassware was proudly displayed. These cabinets served as storage for valuable household items such as silverware and linens.
Rosewood, ebony, oak
88 x 63 x 27 in. (223.5 x 160 x 68.6 cm)
Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund
91.64
Provenance: Purchased from Otto Naumann, Ltd., August 5, 1991
Photo: Susan Cole