J.C. Stoffels, Dutch Art Nouveau ('Nieuwe Kunst') brass engraved chest, Onder den Sint-Maarten, ca. 1905

This solid brass chest was designed bij J.C. Stoffels and produced at the furniture factory Onder den Sint Maarten, circa 1905. The sides of the box are adorned by two rows of circles encapsulated between double lines. The top of the box is elaborately decorated with an engraving of floral motifs and organic shapes and has an inlay of green and pink semiprecious stones. The engraving fits within the style characteristics of the Dutch Art Nouveau, the ‘Nieuwe Kunst’. The box has an engraved signature reading 'Onder den Sint Maarten'. It was shown at two retrospective exhibition about J.C.Stoffels, held in the Drents Museum in Assen and the Museum Mesdag in The Hague in 2001 and 2002. J.C. Stoffels (1878-1952) attended the Teekenschool voor Kunstambachten (later Quellinusschool) in Amsterdam to become a silversmith. After his training he started working for Amstelhoek. Here he met and worked with Jan Eisenloeffel (1976-1957). In 1903 Stoffels started working at the furniture factory Onder den Sint Maarten. Stoffels designed lamps, clocks, tableware and smaller objects like candlesticks and boxes for jewelry or stamps.