German Cupboard in Walnut, Hamburg, Late 17th Century

This rare Hamburg-type cabinet bears witness to the financial prosperity of this city of the Hanseatic League throughout the 17th century. Named Hamburger shapp, these cupboards were offered at weddings and replaced the old medieval chest containing the dowry. The very rich iconography adorning this piece of furniture is both secular and religious. It makes it possible to identify the function of this piece of furniture as well as the social milieu that commissioned it, namely the rich German bourgeoisie of the Hansa.
A prestigious piece of furniture as much as a masterpiece of carpentry and cabinetmaking, this ostentatious baroque wardrobe was installed in the salons or trading houses of wealthy German merchants. Our cabinet is in excellent condition.