There is even more iconography, but intended for a specific spectator, possibly even William and Mary. The eagles, which stand for sharp insight and high ideals, are picking at wheat which could stand for life after death, remembering the spectator that however high your ideals are, there is a limit to life. Furthermore, at the top center of the doors a heart-shape within two laurel    wreaths can be seen – which could stand for the victory of love – the result of the marital alliance. The acorns (fruits of the endurance and power) in combination with blackberries are reminding the spectator that there is always a limit (to this same power).

The daffodils beneath M love W at each side of the cabinet contribute to the exciting possibility of this cabinet's royal provenance as they also symbolise ten years of marriage. Could this cabinet have been a gift by Mary to William to decorate Huis Honselaarsdijk when they celebrated their anniversary in 1687? The presumed date of this cabinet certainly matches.

Today, in the age of information, we have too much to learn and remember and we can’t comprehend that a random spectator would understand this symbolism. However, sources prove that myths and symbolism were part of education and common knowledge – at least amongst the literate and educated upper-class. A cabinet like this would not be good enough of a conversation piece for royalty of William and Mary’s status. Without the complex decoration. After all, a generic one with just a geometric motif was for ‘normal’ people. A cabinet with custom made iconography would be most entertaining to guests in a candle-lit drawing room. You can imagine a company chatting about the different flowers and their meanings. Another argument for the symbolism being not hidden is a bureau in the Royal Collection Trust, which was delivered by Gerrit Jensen (in who’s studio Van Mekeren worked) in 1690 to William and Mary. The decoration holds the same flora and symbolism as this cabinet, the only difference being a clear monogram with a crown above. The fact that the symbolic plants and flowers are just as present on the cabinet, but without a monogram, show that they weren’t very ‘hidden’ on each of the pieces.