H.F. Jansen and Zonen showcase/bookcase

A rare and exquisite display cabinet, marked on the back with the metal label of H.F. Jansen en Zonen, Amsterdam. Crafted from high-quality rosewood, the cabinet features two glass display doors and three height-adjustable wooden shelves. The lower section is adorned with an elegantly curved base and includes doors with an interior adjustable shelf. The design dates back to the 1920s.

The founder of the family business H.F. Jansen en Zonen was Hendrik Frederik Jansen (1819–1896), born in Amsterdam. In 1871, the company was granted the title of "Purveyor to the Royal Household." In his application, Jansen referred to himself as an "upholsterer and cabinetmaker." That same year, he built a new workshop and warehouse at Kalverstraat 178.

In 1877, Jansen acquired the furniture firm Stroobants & Broeckx, located at Kalverstraat 122. By then, the company was capable of designing and producing entire interiors, including paneling, upholstery, and furniture. Over the following years, the business expanded significantly, employing 170 workers by 1890. This easily makes it the largest furniture manufacturer in Amsterdam.

Jansen's furniture, interior designs, and furnishings soon gained high esteem, even among the elite. Their work was frequently praised at exhibitions and competitions. In 1865, they furnished the reception hall of Huis Willet-Holthuysen on the Herengracht in Amsterdam. Later, they decorated the regent’s chamber of the Roomsch Catholijk Maagdenhuis at the Spui. Later, they decorated the regent’s chamber of the Roomsch Catholijk Maagdenhuis at the Spui. In 1886, the firm provided new wall coverings for the study and bedroom of King Willem III at Soestdijk Palace, supplying ‘toile imprimé,’ a printed linen fabric. For Princess Wilhelmina’s bedroom, salon, and dressing room, Jansen delivered a Louis XVI-style furniture set made of American pine. The royal apartments in the palace were furnished and upholstered. In 1881, the company provided the furnishings for the Chalet of Palace Het Loo for Princess Emma. In 1888, the Blue Salon in Palace Het Loo was upholstered with silk plush. For Queen Regent Emma’s sitting room at Noordeinde Palace, a standing lamp with a tabletop was delivered in 1896. In 1898, the company was commissioned to design Queen Wilhelmina’s sitting room in a late 18th-century style. The firm also furnished the Ladies' Room in the Industrial Club on Dam Square, which was festively inaugurated on January 8, 1916 (now the Royal Industrial Groote Club, Amsterdam), including a crystal chandelier.

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