South African Design: Past & Present
Timed Online Auction, 13 June - 9 July 2025
Cape Interiors: Furniture, Metalware, Silver & Glass
About the SessionThis sale traces the heritage of South African design across centuries of creative expression highlighting diverse design objects through two sessions. Uniting the sessions is a celebration of the versatility of materials - metal, wood, glass, clay, fibre - and how artists and artisans have transformed them over time into works of wonder, rich in both tradition and innovation.
About this Item
Notes
The name "jongmanskas" reflects the intended use of these cupboards for storing the belongings of a young man, often used in the context of a young man's wardrobe. The distinctive feature of this type of furniture is the two drawers just below the top of the cupboard. This is a uniquely South African item of furniture.
This particular jonkmanskas is a 19th-century item with Regency influences seen in the turned baluster feet, earlier examples would have had spade or square-section feet.
It is extremely rare to find a cupboard in camphorwood (Cinnamomum camphora) which is known for its insect repellent properties.