Baroque cabinet on chest with allegories of good and bad advisers, Antwerp, partly from the 17th century, later remade, additions made and adapted. The paintings circle of Michiel Coignet. Photo courtesy Van Ham

Parcel-ebonised oak, partly softwood. Walnut veneer with thread inlays. Silvered applications. Frame joined by stretchers. One frieze drawer. Two-door top section. Splendid interior with a central door as a portico, framed by ten drawers. On the doors and drawers there are paintings with allegorical depictions, which can be interpreted as follows:
The centre of the central door shows the ambivalent, fickle Fortuna. The left leaf shows the ill-advised ruler with his advisers stupidity, depicted with ass's ears, and malignity. The negatively tempered Fortuna alias misfortune, depicted with bat wings, accompanies a knight, possibly Mars, and his retinue on their way to the ill-advised ruler. In the dungeon behind bars two languishing virtues are depicted. On the right leaf one sees the well-advised ruler between Minerva (wisdom) and Prudence, depicted with a mirror (prudence). The positively tempered Fortuna and Pheme, depicted with a trombone, lead laureated artists to the well-advised ruler. The small scenes on the drawers probably depict fortunate living conditions on the one hand and unfortunate situations in life on the other. 164 x 113 x 52 cm. Condition C. Frame and veneer are later additions. Estimate(s): 4,000 - 6,000 €

Provenance: Private collection, Lower Saxony.

Literature: Ursula Härting: Frans Francken II. Freren 1989. Type cf. p. 377 fig. 475.
Ulrich Thieme: Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler, BD. 7, Leipzig 1912. Michiel Coignet see p. 299.

We would like to thank Dr. Ulrike Middendorf for her kind support.

Van Ham. Europäisches Kunstgewerbe. 17/05/2014 - http://www.van-ham.com/