Antique Cape Furniture

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Cachet: Grandfather clock.

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ANTIQUE CAPE FURNITURE The term cape signifies a high ridge of land or a mountain range jutting out into the sea or other expanse of water. This geographical feature occurs throughout the world, but the term Cape furniture refers specifically to the characteristic furniture manufac- tured at the Cape of Good Hope during the first two centuries after the founding of the Dutch settlement in 1652. The furniture initially used at the Cape came mainly from Holland and the Orient. Dur- ing the latter half of the eighteenth century and in the early nineteenth century, the Cape enjoyed a period of prosperity which provided many job opportunities for local craftsmen. Cabinet makers manufactured practically all types of furniture in their workshops and copper and silversmiths made handels, knobs, escutcheon plates and ornamental metalwork. The furniture styles were influenced by those of Holland, England, France and the Orient, but nevertheless displayed a distinct character of its own. Initially, all wood for furniture was imported. The first local wood used came from the woods at Hout Bay. After Governor Joachim van Plettenberg had explored the Knysna woods in 1778, indigenous woods such as yellowwood, stinkwood, red alder, white alder, beech and olivewood became available for furniture. The Queen Anne type settee depicted on stamp C1.10 is made of stinkwood and Cape teak. It dates back to about 1750 to 1770 and has a vase-shaped split back, cabriole legs and a caned seat. It is on display in the Koopmans de Wet House, a satellite museum under the auspices of the South African Museum of Cultural History. South African stinkwood (Ocotea bullata) is one of the world's most beautiful and costly woods. It is pre-eminently suitable for furniture and was much used at the Cape. The stinkwood settee on C2.10 is a fine example of the type of rusbank (settee) often manufactured in the country districts. It dates back to about 1800 and has vertical splats at the back, square slightly tapered legs and a thonged seat. It stands in Groot Constantia, the former homestead of Governor Simon van der Stel, now a satellite museum under the auspices of the South African Museum of Cultural History. The teak and stinkwood canopy bed (C3.10) dates back to about 1800. It has twist- turned posts and carved decorations on the bottom board. The upholstery is contem- porary. The bed is on display at Groot Constantia. The stinkwood rocking cradle on C4.10 dates from the nineteenth century. It has solid sloping sides with simple carving and knob finials. This rocking cradle is in the Koop- mans de Wet House. A waterbutt for drinking water and water for cooking purposes was essential in the Cape kitchen. The waterbutt with hinged lid depicted on stamp C5.10 is made of teak and has brass hoops and a brass tap. It is mounted on a stand and is equipped with a drip tub. It dates from about 1800 and is on display in the Koopmans de Wet House. The teak and stinkwood cabinet depicted on stamp C6.10 is a rare example of a seven- teenth century Cape Flemish type cabinet. It has an overhanging cornice, panelled doors, two narrow drawers and sturdy ball feet. It dates back to approximately 1700 and is on display at Groot Constantia. The craftsmanship of the Cape cabinetmakers is apparent in the armoire of stinkwood, satinwood and embuia depicted on C7.10. It has bombé drawers and ball-and-claw feet. The gable pediment and the apron are decorated with beautifully carved motifs. The rose-pattern silver fittings were wrought by Daniel Heinrich Schmidt, a silver- smith who worked at the Cape from 1779 till his death in 1811. This armoire dates to the period between 1780 to 1790. It is on display at the Koopmans de Wet House. Before church buildings were furnished with pews, churchgoers had to provide their own chairs. Often the owner's name was inlaid in a contrasting wood or painted on the chair back. The church chair on C8.10 dates from the late-seventeenth century and re- flects the Eastern influence on the Cape furniture styles. It is made of Andaman bullet- wood (Mimusops littoralis) in the Batavian style with carving on the back and barley sugar turned stretchers, back posts and splats. The names D W Willem Marais and PH du Toit are painted on the back. This chair is in the Koopmans de Wet House. The Louis XV type tub chair depicted on C9.10 dates from the period 1770 to 1790. It is made of stinkwood and has a bow-fronted and round-backed caned seat, arms spring- ing from the top of the back, a neoclassical pierced splat and cabriole legs. It stands in the Koopmans de Wet House. The family Bible was a precious possession which had a place of honour in the home. It was often kept in a special desk with a lock. The beautiful Bible desk depicted on C10.10 has a sloping hinged lid and a drawer. It is decorated with inlaid designs of ivory and ebony and dates back to approximately 1750. It is part of the William Fehr Collection at the Castle in Cape Town. ANTIEKE KAAPSE MEUBELS Die benaming kaap dui op 'n hoë landpunt of gebergte wat in die see of 'n ander watermassa uitloop. Dié geografiese verskynsel kom wêreldwyd voor maar die be- naming Kaapse meubels dui spesifiek op die kenmerkende meubels wat gedurende die eerste twee eeue na die totstandkoming van die Hollandse nedersetting in 1652 aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop gemaak is. Die eerste meubels wat aan die Kaap gebruik is, het hoofsaaklik uit Holland en die Ooste gekom. Gedurende die tweede helfte van die agtiende eeu en die vroeë negen- tiende eeu het die Kaap 'n tydperk van welvaart beleef wat aan plaaslike vaklui baie werkgeleenthede gebied het. Meubelmakers het feitlik alle soorte meubels in hul skrynwerkerye vervaardig en koper- en silwersmede het handvatsels, deurknoppe, sleutelplaatjies en sierbeslag gemaak. Die meubelstyle is deur dié van Holland, Enge- land, Frankryk en die Ooste beïnvloed maar het tog 'n bepaalde eie karakter getoon. Aanvanklik is al die hout vir meubels ingevoer. Die eerste plaaslike hout wat gebruik is, het uit die bosse by Houtbaai gekom. Nadat goewerneur Joachim van Plettenberg in 1778 die Knysnabos verken het, het inheemse houtsoorte soos geelhout, stinkhout, rooi-els, witels, boekenhout en olyfhout vir meubels beskikbaar geword. Die rusbank op seël C1.10 is in die Queen Anne-styl uit stink- en kiaathout vervaardig. Dit dateer uit ongeveer 1750 tot 1770 en het 'n vaasvormige harpruglat, boogpote en 'n rottangmat. Dit word tans in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis, 'n satellietmuseum onder beskerming van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kultuurhistoriese Museum, uitgestal. Suid-Afrikaanse stinkhout (Ocotea bullata) is een van die wêreld se mooiste en kos- baarste houtsoorte. Dit is 'n uitmuntende meubelhout wat algemeen aan die Kaap ge- bruik is. Die stinkhout-rusbank op C2.10 is 'n goeie voorbeeld van die tipe bank wat dikwels op die platteland gemaak is. Dit dateer uit ongeveer 1800 en het 'n leuning met vertikale ruglatte, vierkantige effens tapse pote en 'n riempiemat. Dit staan in Groot Constantia, die eertydse woning van goewerneur Simon van der Stel wat tans 'n satel- lietmuseum onder beskerming van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kultuurhistoriese Museum is. Die hemelbed van kiaat- en stinkhout op seël C3.10 dateer uit ongeveer 1800. Dit het spiraalgedraaide style en uitgesnyde versiering op die voetenent. Die bekleedsel is modern. Dié bed staan in Groot Constantia. Die stinkhoutskommelwiegie op seël C4.10 dateer uit die negentiende eeu. Dit het so- liede skuins kante met eenvoudige snywerk en knop-spitsversierings. Dié wiegie staan in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis. 'n Waterkuip was 'n noodsaaklikheid in die Kaapse kombuis. Die kuip met 'n deksel op seël C5.10 is van kiaat en het geelkoperhoepels en 'n geelkoperkraan. Dit staan op 'n stander en het ook 'n drupbalie. Dié kuip dateer uit ongeveer 1800 en is tans in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis. Die kiaat-en-stinkhoutkabinet op seël C6.10 is 'n skaars voorbeeld van 'n sewentiende- eeuse Kaapse kabinet in die Vlaamse styl. Dit het 'n oorhangkroonlys, paneeldeure, twee smal laaie en stewige balpote. Dit dateer uit ongeveer 1700 en staan in Groot Constantia. Die vakmanskap van die Kaapse meubelmakers blyk duidelik uit die linnekabinet van stink-, satyn- en embuiahout op seël C7.10. Dit het bombé-laaie en bal-en-kloupote en die gewelkroonlys en die skort is met pragtige snywerk versier. Die roospatroonsil- werbeslag is die werk van Daniel Heinrich Schmidt, 'n silwersmid wat van 1779 tot met sy dood in 1811 aan die Kaap werksaam was. Dié armoire dateer uit die tydperk 1780 tot 1790. Dit staan in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis. Voordat daar kerkbanke in die kerkgeboue was, moes elke kerkganger vir sy eie stoel sorg. Die eienaar se naam is dikwels met 'n teenstellende houtsoort op die rugleuning van die stoel ingelê of daarop geverf. Die kerkstoel op seël C8.10 dateer uit die laat- sewentiende eeu en toon die Oosterse invloed op die Kaapse meubelstyl. Dit is van Andaman bulletwood (Mimusops littoralis) in die Bataafse styl gemaak, met snywerk op die rugleuning en spiraalgedraaide sporte, rugstyle en ruglatte. Die name D W Wil- lem Marais en PH du Toit is agterop geverf. Dié stoel is in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis. Die Lodewyk XV-tipe kuipstoel op seël C9.10 dateer uit die tydperk 1770 tot 1790. Dit is van stinkhout en het 'n rottangmat met 'n boogvormige voorkant en ronde agterkant, armleunings wat by die bokant van die rug aansluit, 'n neoklassieke harpruglat en boogpote. Dit staan in die Koopmans-De Wet-huis. Die Familiebybel was 'n kosbare besitting en het 'n ereplek in die huis gehad. Dit is dikwels in 'n spesiale tafeltjie met 'n toesluitdeksel gehou. Die pragtige Bybeltafeltjie op seël C10.10 het 'n skuins, geskarnierde deksel en 'n laai. Dit is versier met ivoor-en- ebbehoutinlegwerk en dateer uit ongeveer 1750. Dit is deel van die William Fehr-ver- sameling in die Kasteel in Kaapstad.

Additional information

This cover was postmarked on 9 July 1992 at Constantia and catalogued as SAPO 5.20. Its cachet featured a grandfather clock, and the ten stamp set depicted pieces from the golden age of Cape furniture making, spanning roughly 1700 to 1800. Several of the pieces shown, including a rare Cape Flemish cabinet and a teak canopy bed, still stand today at Groot Constantia, the former homestead of Governor Simon van der Stel and now a satellite museum in its own right.

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