Cabinet with Inlaid Flower Vases
This cabinet was made by one of the most famous Dutch cabinetmakers of the 17th century: Jan van Mekeren. At that time, a cabinet by him cost even more than a painting by Rembrandt. Using a fretsaw, he cut all kinds of shapes from as many as 15 types of variously coloured wood. He then glued the small pieces together, like a puzzle. For instance, on the doors he made bouquets of flowers, and do you also see the birds and butterflies?