Chest. Walnut Wood, Textile Remains, Wrought Iron. 17th Century.

Chest. Walnut wood, textile remains, wrought iron. 17th century.
Rectangular walnut chest or sideboard with a flat lid featuring fine moldings on the outside, another running along the front of the cabinet and dodging the lock on the front in a downward point, and, again, a slight staggering based on these motifs on the lower part, on the edge cut with curves and counter-curves that partially hide the tubular legs with discs of the cabinet. On the sides, there are two metal handles, and in the corners, two corner irons (in each of them) reinforce and decorate (simple plant elements cut into the plate). The lock shield is decorated with animal and plant motifs; the hinges and the corresponding part of the bolt, on the inside of the lid, have remnants of red textile that emphasize the decoration cut at their ends. The shape of this chest, rectangular with a flat lid, is also the usual form for this type of furniture since the Gothic period in the Spanish school. It is important to emphasize the importance of this typology in Spanish furniture, as it would persist until the 19th century, especially in Andalusia, with slight modifications, the most notable being the transition from decorative elements in openwork iron, as in the present example, to the use of gilded brass nails drawing shields, plant themes, etc. This chest has points in common with Baroque examples from the Castilian school. Although it was the most common piece of furniture at the time, there are not many examples preserved: compare with the two 17th century chests in the Museo Casa de Cervantes (CE 202 without fittings, CE 145 with them) in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), or with the chest dated between the middle and end of the 18th century in the Casa Museo Lope de Vega (Madrid) that has the lower part cut out. ·
Size: 124x60.5x70 cm