Cabinet on stand.

This 1690 cabinet, still on its original stand, is an excellent example of fashion influencing furniture in the late 17th century.

Japanese inspired
The technique that gave the English cabinet its distinct and detailed look became popular following the 1688 publication of a book describing 'Japanning', or imitation Japanese lacquer work. The process involves enamelling a piece of furniture or metalwork with coloured shellac (a type of varnish). The decoration is then raised on the object and painted with gold and other colours to give a striking and oriental look.

The exterior lacquer-work scenes on the doors depict trees, birds, and deer. The interiors are decorated in a free-flowing floral design on a black background. The cabinet has four small drawers and three large drawers with brass handles and painted scarlet interiors.

Elgar family
Mrs Ella Elgar purchased the cabinet while she was in England shopping to furnish her family's New Zealand mansion, 'Fernside'. The house had been built in the Wairarapa, a rural area of the lower North Island, in 1925, and was the product of the farming family's success selling wool during World War I, when prices were high. The Elgars furnished their home with outstanding examples of English furniture from the late seventeenth century to the 1820s. Their plan was to live in their new Wairarapa house as 'wool kings'.