The story

Ilse Daatselaar - co-owner of Daatselaar antiquairs - explains to you what makes this piece so special and worth having in their collection.

"This sideboard is typical for the Dutch furniture. Nowhere else in Europe were these 'klapbuffetten' made. This type of multifunctional furniture resembled when closed a commode, but it opens to reveal a basin of pewter, which made it highly suitable for serving meals or to rinse wineglasses.

The protruding front is decorated with marquetry of a shell motive. Together with the adjacent panels they form the two doors of the buffet. The corpus rests upon tapered legs that end in bronze spheres. The corners are decorated with columns that end in gilt bronze Corinthian capitals. The top is decorated with a shell-motive. When the top is turned up, a pewter basin appears. The mahogany panels on either side can be extended to the sides to enlarge the workspace. This furniture has an appearance that fits into any interior, both modern and classic."