An English black and gilt japanned cabinet on stand the cabinet early 18th century on a George II stand circa 1735

the two flush doors and sides painted with landscapes and pavilions in two colour gold with engraved gilt.mes tal hinges and hasps enclosing an arrangement of similarly decorated deep drawers on a giltwood English stand, circa 1735, the shell and leaf carved frieze over dolphin carved cabriole legs

Oriental decoration became popular in Europe at the end of the 17th century, influenced by furniture and porcelain sent to Western countries from the Far East. The European East India trade companies were responsible for the importation into Europe of these exotic wares, lacquer and porcelain being the most prized. Japan closed its borders to foreign trade in the 17th century: that fact combined with the great expense of importing lacquer spurred domestic craft.mes n to devise their own methods of decorating furniture in an Oriental manner. These European produced pieces were relatively inexpensive substitutes for the costly `India' lacquer.

In 1688, Stalker and Parker wrote `A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing', a book with precise instructions in the art of japanning accompanied by twenty four plates of suggested designs derived from original works of Oriental art.  Their intent was to `imitate the true genuine`Indian' work' although ` perhaps we have helped them a little in their proportions, where they were lame or defective, and made them more pleasant yet another as Antick.'

The interesting stand on the current lot decorated with the classical marine imagery  of the scallop shell and dolphin form feet relate it to a chair formerly in the collects ion of Sir Goerge Donaldson and illustrated in Ralph Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964, p.136, fig.76.  The dolphin form feet also appear on a Chairman's seat circa 1730, supplied for an East India Trading Company courtroom in Leadenhall Street, London and pictured in Country Life, vol. LXV, 1929, p.242, fig.11.