Dutch Kast
1730
Maple, mahogany
JJ.1966.308
This large cupboard, also known as a Dutch Kast, is from c. 1730 and made out of maple and mahogany wood. It has inlaid designs, including diamonds and light pronged stars on the outer front panels, as well as a maple star inlay on the paneled doors. The description of an inlaid design covers a range of techniques that involve inserting pieces of contrasting materials, such as different woods, into one another. There are two rectangular pieces of applied ornamentation on the right door as well as on the side panels.
“Kast”, plural “Kasten”, is a Dutch word which is most often translated to cabinet, but can also mean cupboard, closet or wardrobe. Based on a popular furniture design from the Netherlands, the Kast became central to domestic life in colonial New York. Although variations exist, the typical kast is a large, free-standing cupboard.
Used primarily for the storage of linens, they might have also held the family’s silver, porcelain, firearms or other valuables, and soon became quintessential to the furnishings of Dutch-American homes.
Besides their utilitarian function, kasten also signified the wealth, social status and heritage of the owners. Often, kasten belonged to the wealthiest families in a community and would have been displayed in a front room to show off the family’s wealth and status. Their value came from being hand crafted and carved from expensive pieces of wood, and were regularly part of a woman’s dowry. Families in rural areas would sometimes commission “country” kasten, which were simpler and cheaper cupboards inspired by the grander kasten from the larger towns.
By the time that John Jay lived in this house, from 1801-1829, the piece would have already been an antique for that time. It is possible that the Jays acquired this piece as an antique for use in the house. The kast did not have legs when it was originally donated, the legs are reproductions made by a Dutch cabinetmaker in Goldens Bridge.
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