Jan and John Maggs Antiques

The Dutch Spice Cabinet

We bought this beautiful spice box in England at an outdoor fair last month. Made in Holland in the late seventeenth century with contrasting woods and applied geometric mouldings, it is a striking example of the form.

Its interior consists of a dozen individual drawers surrounding a small cupboard - three above, three on each side, and three below. The central compartment is secured by a panelled door, and the door and the twelve drawers are decorated with more applied mouldings.

Even after 300 years, it retains most of its original wrought iron hardware, and only three or four small pieces of mounding had been replaced.

We had inspected the chest on the field, and were satisfied with its condition, but once we got it home, we continued our examination in more detail. In the process we discovered a puzzling incongruity. At the rear of each of the two middle drawers was an empty mortise. Empty mortises require explanation.

Our quest for the answer led us to the discovery that the two drawer sections flanking the central compartment were shallower than the center section. There must be space behind the side drawers. But, as the walls of the center section extend to the rear of the chest, how does one access the empty compartment?

At this point we discovered that the center compartment is removable. Believing now that one was meant to reach around the back of the side drawers, we looked for openings at the rear. There were none. Rather, we found that each of the side galleries had a false back, which can only be slid into the center section when the center liner is removed.

And this is when we discovered the best part . . . .

Behind each of the six flanking drawers is hidden a second, smaller drawer, where treasures might be hidden. Each drawer has a small loop of string, which served as a pull without consuming precious space. Damage to the sliding panels behind which these little drawers are concealed and slight wear on the outsides of the little drawers indicates that they were accessed frequently.

Unfortunately, they contained no gold coins or deeds to canal houses in Amsterdam -- but what a wonderful and rare find!

The spice cabinet, ready for our gala shop opening last month. It was the first piece to sell.

Click on the picture to return to this month's newsletter.