Attributed to Ulrich Baumgartner. Augsburg, 17th century.

Attributed to ULRICH BAUMGARTNER (1579-1652).
Jewelry cabinet. Augsburg, 17th century.
Ebony, rosewood and brass. All sides decorated.
With four secret drawers.
Stamped with the name "Eben" and with a pineapple.
Literature: "Die Geschichte des Augsburger Kabinettschranks", Dieter Alfter, 1986. "Die Augsburger Kistler des 17. Jahrhunderts", Christine Cornet.
Similar model in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Measurements: 56 x 46 x 30.5 cm (closed); 56 x 70 x 30.5 cm (open).

In the 17th century, the princes and nobles of the Holy Roman Empire became fond of collecting rare, beautiful and valuable objects. Collectors of small objects commissioned elaborate cabinets decorated with exotic woods, such as ebony or other sumptuous materials. These pieces were furnished with numerous drawers and secret compartments, offering a variety of storage possibilities. In a sense, this type of showcase represented in miniature an entire "kunstkammer" (cabinets of curiosities), which was itself a metaphor for the known world in all its diversity.

These cabinets were a specialty of the cabinetmakers and goldsmiths of the free imperial city of Augsburg. The master craftsmen worked collaboratively under the supervision of a merchant or dealer. The most prolific of these was the Augsburg court correspondent Philipp Hainhofer (1578-1647), famous for three large and ingenious cabinets made to his specifications in the first third of the 17th century by Ulrich Baumgartner (ca. 1580-1652).

The jewelry cabinet we present is a rare collector's item that is part of a series of objects intended for "kunstkammer". It is attributed to this distinguished cabinetmaker and carver of German origin, famous for his work in the production of luxury furniture during the Baroque period. It is worth comparing our piece of furniture with similar cabinets and jewelry cabinets by Baumgartner, such as the one preserved in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is made of ebony and rosewood. The keyholes are made of gilded brass. It consists of a structure in the form of a miniature palatial façade, with a plinth housing a drawer, a central body with six drawers around a niche with secrets and a cope in the form of a chest. The exterior carving is sober and elegant, limited to moldings with decorative notches. Inside, on the other hand, it is developed in the form of foliated arches on pilasters, masks around the knob, borders and scrolls. Stylistically, it belongs to the early baroque style.

Baumgartner was noted for his luxury boxes and cabinets, especially the Augsburg cabinets, which were highly decorative pieces of furniture used to store precious objects. These pieces were commissioned by the nobility and gentry and were characterized by a combination of ebony, ivory or tortoiseshell inlay, semi-precious stones and exotic woods. Stylistically they were inspired by Flemish and Italian early Baroque furniture. His workshop in Augsburg, a key city in the production of decorative arts in the 17th century, was highly influential. His cabinets became status symbols and some of his pieces are preserved in museums and private collections. The Pomeranian Desk is one of Ulrich Baumgartner's most iconic works, created around 1617-1620 in Augsburg, Germany. It is a masterpiece of Baroque furniture art and an extraordinary example of the luxury cabinetmaking of the period. It is a large, richly decorated cabinet that combines desk functions and storage space. It was designed to be a showpiece, intended for the nobility. The piece of furniture was commissioned by Philip II of Pomerania, Duke of Stettin, as a symbol of his power and cultural refinement. Today, the Pomeranian Desk is housed in the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin, where it is considered one of the museum's most valuable pieces.