An Extremely Fine and Rare Example of a Mid-17th Century Oak Glass Case

Although known as glass cases, small open-front cupboards would have been used for the display of all sorts of wares - pewter, silver or pottery.

Most of these types of cupboard are quite highly decorated, suggesting they were made for the homes of merchants, landowners or nobility, who would have had the items to display.

This example is one of the most decorated I have seen. The gadrooned cornice sits above twin arches, which again have gadrooned decoration, together with tiny pierced dentil work along the bottom edge. The narrow boarded uprights and shelf fronts are decorated with interlaced leaf-filled semi-circles.

I believe this to be a unique feature of the little cupboard - the reeded sides, each having four elongated "thumb gouges", heavily embellished with a stamp decoration - which is repeated throughout the cupboard. I have never seen an open-front glass cupboard with decorated ends.

A lovely rare piece, dating from the mid-17th century, circa 1650-70.

Width 26.5 inches, height 28 inches, depth 7.5 inches.

Ref 2930

A very similar example is shown on page 340, fig 3.328, Victor Chinnery, "The Age of Oak".