Chest. Leather, Wood, Metal. Spain, Circa 1500.

Chest. Leather, wood, metal. Spain, circa 1500.
Rectangular chest with a semicircular lid made of carved wood and covered in worked leather, reinforced by a series of fittings, a material also used for the lid handle and the front latch, with a lock shield decorated with simplified plant elements on the upper part. The interior is covered with a fabric that was common on these pieces and which, as a rule, has not been preserved in good condition, as is the case with this piece. This type of chest was used both to store and transport precious objects, hence the lock, always seeking the quality of the materials and the decoration that would demonstrate the economic power of its owner, while preserving its usefulness. The shape is one of the most common for Spanish Gothic chests, due to the arrangement of the fittings and a series of decorative elements in this style. Barred chests, repeating chests, and small chests had very varied shapes and sizes. They were so common in Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries that many examples are preserved today. Compare, for example, those in the Lope de Vega House Museum (Madrid), one dating from the early 16th century with 19th-century touches (CE00170) and the other with decoration (inventory CE00004), or the 15th-century chest in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid, for example, as well as several examples from private collections. -
Size: 17x10x11 cm