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| Figure 9 Kast, possibly Rotterdam or Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1680-1690. Walnut veneer on oak. H. 90", W. 89 3/4", D. 31 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) This elaborate Dutch baroque kast is one of seven owned in New Netherland and colonial New York. It descended in the family of Robert Livingston (fig. 7). His father, Rev. John Livingston (1603-1672), was a Scottish minister active in Scotland's struggle for independence from England. John was exiled to Rotterdam in 1663, where his son Robert was born, reared, and educated. Robert and his wife Alida Schuyler Van Rensselaer (1656-1727) may have purchased this kast after their marriage in 1679. Under the applied moldings on the right side panel is inscribed what appears to be the name "Myndert banta," possibly the maker, along with layout lines for cutting miters in the applied moldings. |