Abraham Roentgen (1711–1793) was the father of David Roentgen (1743–1807). Both were German cabinetmakers who ranked amongst the most skilled furniture makers of the two halves of the 18th century. The furniture they produced is of outstanding quality and is often held in museums.
Several examples of this type of box are known and can be found online. An identical box is held in the collection of The Met Museum, which provides an informative description of this object. The keyhole plate appears to be the same, but has a different engraving. The veneer on the front comes from the same veneer book as on this box. They refer to it as rosewood, which is the collective term for various types of palisander. A more specific name is kingwood, with the botanical name Dalbergia cearensis, also known as violetwood.
This 18th-century tea chest by Abraham Roentgen was examined and restored by Koolwijk Meubelrestauratie in Utrecht. This page describes the construction, condition and restoration work carried out. The full restoration report is available as a PDF.
Restoration Report
The treatment and findings have been documented in detail in the restoration report.
[The full restoration Repot, in Dutch (PDF)]
