Kas (wardrobe)

Derived from the Dutch kast, a kas describes a large upright cupboard or wardrobe with panelled facades, heavy overhanging cornices and large bun feet. These features are derived from Dutch 17th century prototypes, and in this country they are found exclusively on pieces made in the Hudson River Valley by descendants of settlers from Holland. This kas was made for the Isaac Perry House in Pearl River, New York and retains its original painted graining which imitates burled walnut, heightened by gilt and ebonized moldings. An almost identical kas, inscribed by Roelof Demarest, was found in the same house.