Circle of Ulrich Baumgartner. Augsburg, 17th century.

Attributed to ULRICH BAUMGARTNER (1579-1652).
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).

The cabinet shown here is a valuable collector's item from the Augsburgs. Due to its quality, style and furniture typology, its manufacture is attributed to the close circle of the distinguished cabinetmaker and carver of German origin, Ulrich Baumgartner.

Veneered in ebony, it consists of a rectangular structure, with a sober decoration on the exterior (bone filleting creating geometric patterns), while the interior exhibits a characteristic style based on hunting figures carved in bone, decorating the molded drawers: rabbits, wolves and hunting dogs surround the figure of the hunter, who carries a freshly hunted rabbit. The figures are distributed over each of the eight drawers and the secret drawer behind the central niche.

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.

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.