{"product_id":"monumental-collinson-lock-rosewood-display-cabinet-c-1890","title":"Victorian Rosewood Display Cabinet Attributed to Collinson \u0026 Lock, c.1890","description":"\u003ch3\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn exceptional and monumental \u003cstrong\u003elate Victorian rosewood display cabinet, attributed to Collinson \u0026amp; Lock of London\u003c\/strong\u003e, dating to approximately \u003cstrong\u003e1885–1895\u003c\/strong\u003e and conceived in the sophisticated Renaissance Revival taste associated with the firm's most ambitious late nineteenth-century furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStanding an impressive \u003cstrong\u003e200 cm high and 183 cm wide\u003c\/strong\u003e, the cabinet combines richly figured rosewood with extensive engraved pale inlay, glazed and mirrored display sections, open shelves, classical pilasters and an imposing architectural pediment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular significance is the survival of a complete suite of high-quality Victorian lock furniture. \u003cstrong\u003eEvery lock examined on the cabinet is stamped “COPE \u0026amp; COLLINSON”\u003c\/strong\u003e, with the locks additionally marked \u003cstrong\u003e“WARRANTED \/ HAND MADE \/ LEVER”\u003c\/strong\u003e. Cope \u0026amp; Collinson were important specialist manufacturers of locks and cabinet hardware whose products are documented on furniture securely identified as being by Collinson \u0026amp; Lock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonumental Victorian collector's and display cabinet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttributed to Collinson \u0026amp; Lock, London\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirca 1885–1895\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRichly figured rosewood construction and veneers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtensive engraved pale Renaissance Revival inlay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarge central glazed upper vitrine\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGlazed and mirrored lower display cabinet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple open side display shelves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBevelled mirror panels throughout the upper structure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClassical pilasters and architectural supports\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImpressive arched architectural pediment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterlaced owner's or patron's cipher within the pediment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll surviving locks stamped Cope \u0026amp; Collinson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdjustable glass display shelving\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExceptional 200 cm × 183 cm scale\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCraftsmanship \u0026amp; Detail\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cabinet belongs to the most ambitious tradition of late nineteenth-century English art furniture, combining practical display architecture with an unusually rich decorative programme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe upper section centres upon a substantial glazed vitrine enclosed by a pair of doors and crowned by a bold arched pediment. This is enriched with finely executed pale inlay depicting scrolling foliage and opposing fantastical creatures arranged around a shield containing an \u003cstrong\u003einterlaced cipher or monogram\u003c\/strong\u003e. The initials have not been securely identified and may represent those of an original owner or commissioner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFine linear stringing articulates the rosewood throughout, while repeated foliate decoration enriches the cornices, friezes and substantial stepped plinth. Particularly impressive are the lower side cupboard doors, each centred by an elaborate Renaissance-inspired composition incorporating grotesque figures, scrolling foliage, classical ornament and urn forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe architecture is equally sophisticated. Open side shelves are supported on shaped classical uprights, while mirrored panels behind the upper display areas increase the sense of depth and light. The lower central glazed cabinet provides further display space and is flanked by enclosed cupboards, making the piece both highly decorative and exceptionally practical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAttributed to Collinson \u0026amp; Lock, London\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough no surviving \u003cstrong\u003eCollinson \u0026amp; Lock\u003c\/strong\u003e cabinetmaker's stamp has presently been located, the combination of construction, decorative language and surviving original hardware provides compelling evidence for an attribution to the celebrated London firm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost notably, \u003cstrong\u003eevery lock examined on the cabinet bears the stamp “COPE \u0026amp; COLLINSON”\u003c\/strong\u003e. Furniture securely documented as being by Collinson \u0026amp; Lock is known to retain locks carrying the same manufacturer's mark, including examples similarly marked \u003cstrong\u003e“WARRANTED \/ HAND MADE \/ LEVER.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe attribution is further supported by the characteristic use of figured rosewood, fine pale inlay, Renaissance-derived grotesque ornament, classical supports, extensive glazing, mirrors and multiple open display tiers — all features encountered within documented Collinson \u0026amp; Lock furniture of the later nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCollinson \u0026amp; Lock and Victorian Art Furniture\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in London in 1870, \u003cstrong\u003eCollinson \u0026amp; Lock\u003c\/strong\u003e became one of the most important furniture and interior decoration firms working in Britain during the final decades of the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir furniture encompassed several fashionable historicist movements, including Anglo-Japanese, Queen Anne, Old English and Renaissance Revival design. During the 1880s and 1890s the firm became particularly associated with sophisticated rosewood furniture enriched with elaborate contrasting inlay and highly architectural forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigners connected with the firm included \u003cstrong\u003eG. J. S. Lock\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eStephen Webb\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose work contributed to some of Collinson \u0026amp; Lock's most accomplished exhibition and luxury furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Significant Comparative Tradition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurviving documented cabinets by Collinson \u0026amp; Lock from the later 1880s combine many features seen in the present example: central glazed vitrines, open side shelves supported by classically treated columns, lower enclosed storage, richly figured rosewood and intricate Renaissance-inspired pale inlay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present cabinet should not be identified with any particular documented Collinson \u0026amp; Lock model without further evidence. Nevertheless, its architecture, materials, decorative treatment and complete suite of Cope \u0026amp; Collinson hardware place it convincingly within this highly specialised tradition of late Victorian luxury furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Interlaced Cipher\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the cabinet's most intriguing details appears at the centre of the arched pediment. Within an inlaid shield is an \u003cstrong\u003einterlaced double-letter cipher or monogram\u003c\/strong\u003e, framed by symmetrical scrolling foliage and opposing fantastical creatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe device has not presently been identified and is not known to represent a Collinson \u0026amp; Lock trade mark. Its deliberate integration into the decorative scheme raises the possibility that it records the initials of an original patron or commissioner and that the cabinet may have been individually specified for a particular interior.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCollector's Note\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe significance of this cabinet lies in the convergence of \u003cstrong\u003emonumental scale, exceptional craftsmanship, sophisticated design and compelling physical evidence\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt two metres high and more than 1.8 metres wide, it has remarkable architectural presence. Yet its appeal extends beyond scale: the extensive engraved inlay, mirrored and glazed display architecture, richly figured rosewood and surviving Cope \u0026amp; Collinson locks give the cabinet considerable historical and collecting interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hawkins Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64460650709369,"sku":null,"price":2400.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/6633\/8937\/files\/DSCF7905.jpg?v=1788353949","url":"https:\/\/hawkinsantiques.com\/products\/monumental-collinson-lock-rosewood-display-cabinet-c-1890","provider":"Hawkins Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}