Cabinet, 1854-55 (tulipwood, marquetry, silvered and gilt bronze, porcelain)

Edouard Kreisser (active 1843-63) (cabinet maker) LVE Robert (1821-74) (modeller) Porcelain mounted tulipwood, marquetry and gilt bronze cabinet with breakfront centre, two doors, frieze drawer and raised panelled back supported on four freestanding and four engaged gilt bronze and silvered columns with crowned VA ciphers. Base inset with four large oval porcelain plaques depicting seated ladies in eighteenth century dress, in gilt bronze frames. Front chamfered corners mounted with gilt bronze busts of young girls, supported on fluted consoles. Frieze drawer mounted with plaques painted with views of the castles of Edinburgh, Windsor, Hastings and Oxford, the centre mounted with a gilt bronze plaque chased with putti, surrounding Queen Victoria's coat of arms. Top inset with one oval and two shaped plaques painted with allegorical scenes of the arts; back inset with central oval plaque painted with a portrait of Queen Victoria held by putti, flanked by two plaques painted with seated ladies. This cabinet, the most elaborate example of Queen Victoria’s taste for porcelain-mounted furniture, was ordered at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 during her successful state visit to the Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. On the same occasion, the Queen purchased a matching table by Kreisser; the table was given as a Christmas present to Prince Albert in 1855 (and is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum), while this second piece, 'a beautiful French cabinet, inlaid with plaques of china' (QVJ 16 August 1856) was given to the Prince on his thirty seventh birthday, celebrated at Osborne the following year. Both pieces were placed in the Small Drawing Room or Audience Room at Osborne.