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The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

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Art Object
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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) 10652 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3020 views

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Tray (Soucoupe à pied) (one of four) (part of a service)

Sèvres Manufactory  (French, 1740–present)

Decorator:
Jacques-François-Louis de Laroche (active 1758–1802)
Date:
ca. 1780
Culture:
French (Sèvres)
Medium:
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions:
H. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.); W. 9 1/8 in. (23.3 cm.)
Classification:
Ceramics
Credit Line:
Bequest of Emma T. Gary, 1937
Accession Number:
37.20.116

This artwork is not on display

120026118

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