Very much in the manner of Thomas Pistor, this impressive piece is influenced by Dutch and French craftsmen such as Gerrit Jensen and Pierre Gole, working in the last quarter of the 17th century. Gole, in particular, was the spearhead of the richly inlaid motifs and designs later made famous by his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle.



A Dutch family resident in Paris and working for the royal family, the Goles, as Protestants, were obliged to move to England in order to practice their craft. There, they partnered with Gerrit Jensen, by then Royal cabinet maker, in developing the technique of floral inlay in England by the turn of the 18th century.



Most floral inlay box designs can be traced to the influence of these makers, although Thomas Pistor, a London cabinet-maker in Moorfields by 1678 and Bell Court by 1693, worked extensively for James II has recently been documented as having been commissioned for very similar pieces to the current inlaid box for both Bagshot Lodge and Levens Hall.



An attribution to Pistor is therefore entirely possible, and adds to the small group of craftspeople in this field.