Indo-portuguese Casket, Goa, 17th Century

- A portable Indo-Portuguese box, made in Goa and dating from the 17th century, adorned with marquetry in teak, rosewood, and ivory.

- This highly decorative box directly reflects the history of the European presence on the Asian continent. Indeed, from the 16th century onward, the arrival of the Portuguese in India fostered the spread of Western culture among the local elites and the production of everyday objects in a hybrid style known as "Indo-Portuguese." Many boxes and cabinets, then fashionable at the Lisbon court, were made of exotic woods and inlaid with ivory, like the box presented here.

- Rectangular in shape, all its sides are covered with an elegant marquetry design of stylized arabesque scrolls inhabited by zoomorphic forms brought to life by the use of ivory circles inlaid with rosewood as eyes. Openwork gilt brass, used for the lock and corner brackets, offers an elegant contrast between the dark tones of the wood and the gold of the metal. Small original handles on the sides hint at the chest's intended portability. The preciousness of this chest continues inside. Once the drawer is opened, several compartments are revealed. However, one must take a closer look at the sides to discover all the hidden spaces. These concealed areas allowed the owner to hide valuable objects. Indeed, while only one level is visible at first glance, a second is hidden beneath and revealed by removing the sub-drawers.

- This box shares similarities in its decoration with a cabinet held at the Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva Foundation (featured on the cover of one of their publications, visible here) and another held at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid (CE02051 Indo-Portuguese cabinet, Goa, last quarter of the 17th century, visible here).

- Good condition, with some wear and missing parts (see photos), and a later lock.

- Dimensions: Height: 14 cm, Width: 42.5 cm, Depth: 33.3 cm