French Japonoiserie Stained Beech Vitrine in Gabriel Viardot Style

• Beech - Beech, a pale coloured timber, is native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America and classified as a hardwood, although comparitively "soft" when compared with oak or ash. It has long been popular with with country craftsmen, particulary chair makers, as unlike ash it is suitable for turning.
• Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
• Frieze - An architectural term denoting the flat, shaped or convex horizontal surface of furniture, between the architrave and the cornice, usually found on a cabinet or bookcase, or on desks and tables where it may include drawers, the area between the top and the legs. In ceramics, the term refers to the banding, of usually a repeating pattern, on the rims of plates and vases.
• Greek Key Pattern - The Greek key pattern is a decorative design that consists of continuous interlocking vertical and right-angled lines that form a repeating motif. It is also known as "Meander" or "Greek fret." The pattern is thought to have originated in ancient Greece, where it was used in various decorative arts, such as pottery, metalwork, and architectural elements. The Greek key design is widely used in a variety of contexts, including classical architecture, decorative arts, furniture, interior design and textiles. The pattern is considered timeless and classic, and its geometric simplicity makes it a popular choice for designers in many different fields.
• Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
• Manner of .... / Style of ..... - A cataloguing term where the item, in the opinion of the cataloguer is a work in the style of the artist, craftsman or designer, possibly of a later period.
• Fretwork - Pierced intricate decorative patterns, cut with a fine saw and generally found around the galleries of desk tops, open-hanging shelves and small tables.
  
  In open fret, the timber is completely pierced, giving an appearance of great lightness and delicacy.
  
  With blind fret, as seen in Chinoiserie styles of Chippendale, the fretwork is applied like a moulding to a solid panel.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• display cabinets, origin - French 406
• display cabinets, period, age or style - Victorian 283
• vitrines - (upright display cabinet) 297