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The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

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Art Object
Program Information

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

Program information

Discover the hidden features and intricate interior of this cabinet.

One of the finest achievements of European furniture making, this cabinet is the most important product from Abraham (1711–1793) and David Roentgen's (1743–1807) workshop. A writing cabinet crowned with a chiming clock, it features finely designed marquetry panels and elaborate mechanisms that allow for doors and drawers to be opened automatically at the touch of a button. Owned by King Frederick William II, the Berlin cabinet is uniquely remarkable for its ornate decoration, mechanical complexity, and sheer size.

This cabinet, from Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

Footage courtesy of VideoART GmbH and Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
(00:00:52)

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 11592 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 18190 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3155 views

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Sèvres Manufactory  (French, 1740–present)

Decorator:
François Antoine Pfeiffer (French, active 1771–1800)
Decorator:
y Nicolas Sinsson (active 1753–95)
Maker:
Gilder: Henri-François Vincent (active 1753–1806)
Date:
ca. 1777–85
Culture:
French (Sèvres)
Medium:
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions:
L. 24 in. (61.0 cm.)
Classification:
Ceramics
Credit Line:
The F.O. Matthiessen Collection, Gift of Mrs. Emma Matthiessen, in memory of her husband, 1904
Accession Number:
04.6.4

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 529

120003287

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