An extremely rare and important Dutch colonial Cuban Mahogany Curaçao cabinet with silver mounts

Curaçao, late 18th century, silver escutcheons probably by Lourens Räven

H. 232 x W. 208 x D. 75 cm

Large pieces of furniture with a Dutch provenance from Curaçao rarely come to the market. This rare and important cabinet, with its original silver, marked, escutcheons, was bought from the prominent Curacao family Statius Muller in 1939. When slavery was abolished in 1863, one member of the Statius Muller family was compensated with P. 9.600,-, for the loss of 49 enslaved people – a small fortune. Only people who owned plantations and thus many enslaved were able to have such a piece of furniture made on an island where little to no resources for making it can be found.
 

Our friend and Colonial Art historian Jan Veenendaal has done extensive research on this cabinet and published his findings in ‘Meubelen en zilver van Curaçao’ in 1994.

Literature:
Jan Veenendaal, ‘Meubelen en zilver van Curaçao’ in: Antiek, November 1994, pp. 24-31, no. 4 (ill.)