Kabinety. Mistrovská díla uměleckého řemesla 16. a 17. století z českých sbírek

The detailed catalogue presents a selection of rare cabinets from the collections of the UPM in Prague and the Národní památkový ústav, as well as from regional and private collections. The collection represents the work of the leading European centres of production, with examples of the most important decorative techniques, such as pictorial inlay, marquetry, relief carving, Florentine mosaics or decoration with miniature painting and small sculptures.

The 16th and 17th century cabinets are some of the most interesting examples in the history of craftsmanship. By virtue of its primary function as a repository for precious objects and its distinctly artistic character, the cabinet has always gone beyond the normal categories of furniture making. Its roots can be traced back to the advanced cultures of antiquity, and it occupied a prominent place in the luxurious furnishings of the royal courts of modern Europe, but it reached its zenith in the Mannerist and early Baroque periods, when it became a distinctive work of art in miniature, representing the complex world of ideas of modern natural philosophy.