High-ranking officials assembly taking place at StadtPalais Stuttgart palace.
In a significant addition to its collection, Stuttgart's City Palace Museum has recently acquired a unique piece of furniture—a 19th-century leather cabinet with Oriental-Moorish design. This exquisite two-part set, featuring a box adorned with embossed leather and metal fittings, and a turned and bleached wooden stand, is a testament to the court taste of the era.
The leather cabinet, crafted in Stuttgart in the 1880s, was bequeathed to Wilhelm, the last Wurttemberg king, as he was preparing to renovate the Wilhelm Palace as his future residence. The metal fittings and appliques on the furniture were made in the "Artistic Crafts Workshop and Foundry" Paul Stotz, while the leather was embossed in the "Artistic Crafts Workshop" of Albert Feucht.
Martin Hoernes, general secretary of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation, which supported the acquisition, stated that the cabinet secures a writing cabinet that occupies an outstanding position within the furniture art of the late 19th century in terms of its quality and origin. Frank Druffner, acting general secretary of the Cultural Foundation of the States, emphasized that the cabinet impressively conveys the tradition of art craftsmanship in Stuttgart.
The leather cabinet, which can be used as a writing desk when the flap is open and boasts numerous drawers and compartments for storage, was initially owned by King Karl, who later bequeathed it to his nephew Wilhelm. Marc Gegenfurtner, head of the municipal cultural office, stated that the acquisition crowns the handling of the City Palace - Museum for Stuttgart as the place of activity of the last Wurttemberg king, Wilhelm II.
This rare piece of furniture, resembling a Spanish Vargueño from the 17th century, will be on display from July 9 in the free salon exhibition of the City Palace: Best of Stuttgart. For further inquiries, Ralf Schick can be contacted at 0711 66601 185 or via email at [his email address].
While 19th-century leather cabinets with Oriental-Moorish design are exceedingly rare, many wood cabinets inspired by these styles exist and are collected and exhibited today. Most listings and museum highlights focus on wood construction with lacquer, inlay, or paint, but the design ethos and historical context are similar for both materials. If you are searching for a specific leather example, it would likely be a unique or bespoke piece, requiring specialized provenance research and verification.
The leather cabinet, a unique piece collection of the City Palace Museum, was initially owned by King Karl and later bequeathed to Wilhelm. This exquisite furniture, resembling a Spanish Vargueño from the 17th century, is a testament to the interior-design lifestyle and home-and-garden aesthetics of the late 19th century in Stuttgart, highlighting the tradition of art craftsmanship in the city.
