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The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

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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) 10702 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) 3033 views

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Exhibitions:

Events:

Events:

The Passion (set of six)

Designs based on prints by Albrecht Dürer  (German, Nuremberg 1471–1528 Nuremberg)

Artist:
and after a print by Martin Schongauer (German, Colmar ca. 1435/50–1491 Breisach)
Artist:
Hans Schäufelein (German, Nuremberg ca. 1480–ca. 1540 Nördlingen)
Artist:
and adapted from prints by Ulrich Pinder (German, active 1493–before 1519)
Maker:
Woven by Unidentified Weaver's Mark
Maker:
and Unidentified Weaver's Mark
Date:
1592–1600
Culture:
German, Alsace, possibly Strasbourg
Medium:
Wool, silk, metal thread (20 warp threads per inch, 8 per cm.)
Dimensions:
See individual records for measurements.
Classification:
Textiles
Credit Line:
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1911
Accession Number:
11.148.1–.6

This artwork is not on display

120049518

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