Sacristy Chest Of Drawers In Walnut Wood With Carved Decoration. Spain, 17th Century.

Sacristy chest of drawers in walnut wood with carved decoration. Spain, 17th century. This piece of furniture has three very deep drawers, the tallest being the lower one, resting on rectangular legs and a straight wooden top, slightly projecting. Each of the drawers has two wrought iron handles. The sides are decorated with simple rectangular moldings, while the drawers are carved in relief: the upper one with vines and leaves; the central one with fleshy plant scrolls; the lower one with three plaques, the lateral ones with a central lozenge and flowers in the corners, and the central one with a rose framed by a rope with three knots on each side connected to two keys. These carvings, added to the depth of the drawers, the horizontality of the composition and lines, and the straightness of the upper panel, suggest that the piece of furniture was used in a sacristy for the proper storage of liturgical vestments, and also indicate that it may have been commissioned by a Franciscan institution (note the typical knotted rope) dedicated to Saint Peter (due to the two keys in the corners). Although it lacks the rear paneling common since the 16th century, the front has voluminous carvings, typical of the 17th century, and decorative elements typical of the Baroque, as well as some reminders of earlier furniture (panels in the lower part). The carving and the quality of the assembly of the boards (note the tongue and groove of the corners) show that these were important works, intended for religious environments. The side panels are reminiscent of those of the central chest of drawers in the sacristy of Avila Cathedral. As in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Murcia, it is the facades that are carved in this example and that recall those of the refectory table in the collection of the Marquis of Santo Domingo (Madrid). However, simpler facades are more common, although, due to direct influences, there are examples that demonstrate the popularity of this prototype, such as the chest of drawers in the sacristy of the former convent of San Francisco in Havana (Cuba). - Dimensions: 175x105x112 cm