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

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Expressions of the Brush: Paintings by Dutch and British Masters", December 22, 2001 - March 9, 2003, (12/22/2001-3/9/2001)

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe", February 17 - May 7, 2000 (2/17-5/7/2000)

Published ReferencesYiu, Josh, On the Origin of the Garniture de Cheminée, American Ceramic Circle Journal, Volume XV, 2009, Fig. 1, illustrated pg 10

Emerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe", Seattle Art Museum, 2000, pg. 106

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