Chest of drawers. Carved wood. 16th century. Restorations. Chest of drawers with a carved wooden front in its own color, featuring two drawers with metal handles and lock escutcheons above two doors with handles and locks similar to the previous ones, and a carved top. The figurative elements (busts of men and female figures) appear within plain tondos, with simple geometric elements overlooking the rectangular areas in which they are located. The sides have simpler carvings based on plain moldings, and the lower part features wave-like work. These types of figurative busts are very common in the European Renaissance (compare, for example, the Plateresque carvings by Calderón, created in 1524 in the choir of Sigüenza Cathedral, with 16th-century Portuguese desks, the sides of the Azay-le-Rideau chest or trunk in the Louvre Museum in Paris, etc.), with the elements surrounding these busts typically varying within tondos. The shape of the piece of furniture is also striking, being unusual in the Spanish school of the period.
Niche. Carved and polychrome wood. Possibly Spanish school, 18th century. A table niche made of carved, polychrome, and gilded wood. It features a front door with a key lock and gilt wood elements in this area, as well as a finial at the top and two side doors with a view into the interior. Plant elements appear in the corners of these openings. Stylistically, slight Rococo influences can be seen alongside a strong Baroque tradition.
English display case. Mahogany palm, lemongrass... An English school display case made of mahogany and lemongrass wood with a textile-covered interior and a mid-height shelf. Three fronts feature clear glass.
A writing desk or wastepaper basket with a bridge base. Wood, metal. Spanish School, 17th century. It needs some restorations. Bargueño or covered wastepaper basket located on a support of the type known as "bridge foot" due to its shape, made of carved wood and decorated with reliefs of architectural and vegetal elements of Classicist influence, vases, spherical finials and twisted columns (two larger ones on the sides of the bridge and two more flanking each of them, these combining fluted columns at the top with twisted elements at the bottom). On the outside, the wastepaper basket is decorated with cut-out metal appliqués (with simplified geometric and vegetal elements) set on textile, with handles, shell-shaped nails, handles, knobs, etc. and a bolt in the center with architectural elements clearly reminiscent of the Baroque. When opening the front, the sample is seen, with three levels and several streets (which do not correspond between these heights), with drawers with shell-shaped knobs and simple panels, and others with columns and metal knobs of the same shape, and chapels with architectural motifs on the front, combining golden elements with polychrome motifs. These pieces of furniture are one of the most common and appreciated styles of the 17th-century Castilian school, and their influence remained strong well into the 20th century. The exterior decorations and the arrangement of drawers and chapels within varied. The personality of the Spanish style was so strong in the 17th century that it prevented the penetration of foreign influences, especially from France due to the poor diplomatic situation at the time. This had a significant influence on the rest of Europe, where French models predominated. The 17th century was a period of decadence in Spain, and this was greatly reflected in furniture. There were no pieces as luxurious as in other countries, a fact also determined by the pragmatic anti-luxury dictated by the monarchs. However, Spanish furniture of the Baroque period displayed considerable quality, enormous personality, and, above all, great interest in terms of typology and the pursuit of functionality over decoration. It is also worth noting the growing appreciation of furniture compared to the previous century. Considering the inventories of goods, significant changes are seen, with furniture becoming even more expensive than tapestries during the time of Charles II.
Console table with lion heads. Carved and gilded wood, marble top. Possibly Italian school, 18th century. A console table with four legs joined by a jamb that ends in a central piece, made of carved and gilded wood, designed to stand against a wall and completed with a light-toned veined marble top that follows the lines of the furniture (curves on three fronts and straight lines on the legs). The slender, molded waist features a raised edge of leaf garlands that join the lion protomes that crown the legs and the flowered scallop shell at the front; the legs, with architectural lines, with volutes at the ends and leaf garlands, are topped with lion heads; the aforementioned jamb also features carved leaves and flowers. Stylistically, both the waist and tabletop lines, the elements of the rest of the furniture, and the material used in it can be linked to 18th-century European works. The lines of the legs (straight compared to other Rococo pieces from, for example, the French school) are reminiscent of pieces based on designs by Daniel Marot (1661-1752), a Dutch architect, furniture designer, and engraver, who were also pieces from the Dutch school. However, it should be noted that his designs influenced numerous creations throughout the continent. It is also worth noting the presence of an 18th-century console table in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, whose general lines (though not so much the decoration, as this is more Rococo than the present one) are reminiscent of this work in some details. Compare also with those of the Church of Santa Maria Nova in Naples (Italy), with those of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, etc.
Wall mirror. Marble dust. 20th century. Wall mirror with a frame made of polychrome marble powder, featuring a decoration resembling a carving based on plant and fruit elements, with a crest at the top. The work is inspired by ancient European styles.
Bargueño. Carey, bronze, wood, iron. Italy, 17th century; back table. An open-faced desk made of wood and finished in tortoiseshell, which has a division into three areas at the front. The side areas have four drawers each (each with two tortoiseshell-shaped slots highlighted with a metal band flanking each lock shield), gilded details with plant elements and Solomonic columns at the outer ends on a base and finished off with curved and straight architectural elements. The central part, called the chapel, is presented forward and has a prominent architectural composition with Solomonic columns and elements in gilded bronze. The piece of furniture is finished off with an openwork band under architectural elements and is situated on legs holding spheres. The buffet or bargueñera table that supports and highlights it, of a later date, has turned legs joined by a chambrana and two wrought iron fasteners. The general layout of the piece of furniture follows models that were known and used in cabinetmaking throughout Europe throughout the 17th century, of which the best examples are considered to be of Italian origin, like the present one. Thus, its decorative elements belong to the same tradition: the legs carved in the shape of a bird's claw synthesized on a ball are very typical of the period; the sides are flatter and simpler (geometric marquetry); etc. However, the present example stands out from the usual in its contemporaries due to the architectural elements of the front and the ribbed pieces of the drawers already mentioned and which are totally different from what can be found in the wastepaper baskets of this type linked to Antwerp. Compare the present example with the one preserved in the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Sumptuarias González Martí (Valencia) which does not have the elements of the drawers already mentioned.
Gate with pass-through. Wrought iron. Spain, 17th century. Rectangular iron railing with a half-height railing, a frame and supports to keep it upright. The vertical bars have opposing balustrade shapes and a series of discs and small smooth mouldings, all arranged symmetrically around this horizontal railing. On the sides, two square bars have a series of smooth mouldings and architectural decoration with a strong classical influence. Compare, for example, with the works preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, or the confessional in the Metropolitan Museum in New York dated 1629 (inv 57.137.51) and with another from the same museum, the work of Francisco González (inv 56-234.12 Ad).
Buffet table. Walnut, iron. Spanish School, 16th century. Walnut table with a rectangular top projecting on the sides, iron fasteners decorated with discs, and stipe legs in the shape of coved columns joined at the bottom by a carved jamb with architectural elements ending in volutes, resembling in shape the so-called "Saint Anthony" legs. Walnut wood was the most common in antique Spanish furniture, and the lack of decoration in the upper area is due to the fact that these pieces of furniture were designed to be "dressed" (covered with a cloth). Compare, in general terms, the so-called Inquisition Buffet, dated around 1600 and housed in the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid. A table with similar decoration, dating to the late 16th century, is also held in a private collection. These carved decorative elements on the legs show a clear classicist influence, which is why it is thought to be associated with the Renaissance.
Seating. Wood, upholstered. 20th century, following the French school. Set of seating furniture with antique-style textile upholstery and carved wooden frame decorated with plant elements and openwork areas (armchair), composed of a three-seater armchair and four high-backed armchairs with partially upholstered arms. The shapes and decoration are inspired by French models common during the 19th century.
Chest. Carved wood, metal. Spanish school, 16th century. Rectangular casket with a flat lid decorated on the outside with a series of figurative reliefs in a symmetrical arrangement with a theme and lines of clear Renaissance influence (framed and enhanced with smooth mouldings, on each front there are two grotesques facing each other or back to back, with a candlestick or central motif as the axis).
Empire style display cabinet. Wood, metal, glass. 20th century, following the French school. It has defects. Wooden display case with front and sides in clear glass, with a clear top and (two) clear glass shelves inside. It opens through a door at the front, revealing a total of four storage spaces. It also has gold metal appliqués that follow models from the 19th century French school.
Art Nouveau furniture. Wood, glass, metal, etc. Circa 1900. Tall wall cabinet with a mirror on the top and drawers below (two display cabinets on the sides with transparent glass doors and another space with shelves in the centre, all three with a lockable key), decorated with carvings, appliqués and shapes reminiscent of plants, with delicate curves and great attention to detail. Due to its decorative elements (flowers, leaves, etc.) it is considered to be part of Modernism, a style highly appreciated in Europe that reached its peak around 1900.
Art Nouveau ceiling lamp. Metal, glass. Circa 1900. Gold metal ceiling lamp with several points of light hidden by white translucent glass shades decorated with geometric elements. The stems, leaves and shapes it presents frame it within Modernism or Art Nouveau, a style highly appreciated in Europe around 1900.
Studded trunk. Wood, leather, metal. Spain, 18th century. A small chest or trunk with a rectangular base and a curved lid, decorated on the outside with a leather cover and a series of metal studs forming lines and simple geometric motifs, accompanying the fittings that the piece presents. It closes at the front with a latch, has handles on the sides and the interior is made of wood in its color.
Extendable table (6 metres). Mahogany wood, metal, leather, etc. England, circa 1930. Rectangular table made of mahogany carved with rectangles of another material in green (leather) edged in gold on the top, which has eight legs finished with rollers and a “worm screw” system under the tabletop that allows its extension up to six meters thanks to a manually operated crank that is attached to one of the smaller sides of the piece. The claws are very common in 18th century English examples (a type known as “claw and ball” with a cabriolet leg, a shape that, although more traditionally French, spread rapidly throughout Europe). The main theory of experts is that it is a design derived from Chinese art (a dragon’s claw grasping a pearl or similar) and that it would have reached the West thanks to the trade in porcelain, silk, etc., appearing for the first time in English silverware and, from there, spreading to other arts. The transformation of the dragon’s claw into a lion’s paw is attributed to English cabinetmakers, this animal symbolising English authority. Thus, the “ball and claw” was popular in England between approximately 1710 and 1750 (later recovering as the styles of the past became fashionable again), and with variations in shape and lines (shape of the claw, details of the nails and “fingers”, proportion between the sphere and the extremity, etc.) depending on the area in which this decorative element was used. The decoration present towards the waist of the piece of furniture and on the edge of the upper board, in slight relief and leaving the wood in its colour, is of an architectural and vegetal theme and shows an influence of ancient classical models (Greek and Roman) both in its motifs and in the composition (symmetry on the sides of the piece of furniture, harmony, etc.). As for the presence of the fabric upholstery on the top, this is a more common element in tables intended for conferences, desks or games than in dining tables (which usually have a wooden top), although this detail does not exclude any function for it. Also worth noting is the preservation of the rollers on the legs, an element that used to be removed or lost with use and the passage of time. 428x160x86 cm. Extended 700x160x86 cm Height up to ball 75 cms.
Tapestry, Alexander the Great wounded at the Battle of Issus. Flemish school, after Jacob Jordaens, attributed to the workshop of Jan Leyniers, ca. 1650. Large tapestry with a wide frame decorated with a plant composition which, on the sides, is partially replaced by a panoply of weapons (helmet, shields, etc.) and enhanced by some putti or half-naked children towards the corners; in the centre of the upper part there is a cartouche with a text in Latin and capital letters ("alexanderdarium persequens inter dimicantes in femore levit er mucrone perstrinc itur"; Alexander, pursuing Darius among the combatants, is slightly wounded in the thigh by a sword). The central scene, figurative, shows a battle, with the two protagonists in the centre (Alexander the Great highlighted by a red cape, thoracata armour following classical models and his posture), surrounded by a series of characters, some dressed in tunics, others in armour and others half-naked. This work is part of a series known as the “Historia de Alexander the Great”, designed by Jacob Jordaens in the 1630s. This scene is said to represent the Battle of Issus, dated 333 BC, which is considered one of the most significant episodes in the emperor’s life. Two preparatory drawings from this period have been preserved, one at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the other at the Dahlem in Berlin. This series follows the “Life of Charlemagne” (based on designs by Jacob Jordaens and produced in the same years). Both stories, considered important moral examples for rulers, were influential for centuries. There are known to be two tapestries with this same theme, both sold at two prestigious auction houses, another one in the British Royal Collection, there are five tapestries from this same series in the Palazzo Chigi in Rome (Italy) signed by Leyniers, four in the Cathedral of Toledo (Spain) by another weaver, and one by Jacob II Guebels which is in the Palazzo Marino in Milan (Italy). Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) was a prominent Antwerp painter, also highly regarded for his tapestry designs. He was active between 1630 and 1670, and extended the innovations brought to this luxury art by Rubens (namely, the introduction of large, colourful, dramatic and dynamic groups of figures with a marked attention to design). Jordaens brought a sense of "baroque" drama, with chiaroscuro and balance of figures with their settings, whether natural or architectural.
Lamp or chandelier. Gilt bronze. Possibly France, Napoleon III, 19th century. Gilt-bronze ceiling lamp featuring a central axis enhanced by three volute structures that run from the leafy crest at the top to the lower body, featuring a series of crowned female grotesques on architectural moldings with volutes. The radiant arms are arranged in tiers and decorated with plant and architectural elements, ending in saucers that give rise to garlanded lighters and classicist shapes and decorations, as is the case throughout the piece. Stylistically, the influence of models taken from Ancient Greece and Imperial Rome is clear, as is common in 19th-century neoclassical works. Note the laurel wreaths, volutes, vegetal scrolls, combinations with gadroon motifs, etc. The 19th-century taste can be seen, above all, in the aforementioned female grotesques, with their crowns and pearl necklaces from which hang a Greek cross. The quality of the lamp is remarkable, both in the bronze and the gilding (most likely mercury) and in its design. Compare, for example, with works by the renowned French firm Maison Mottheau et Fils, prized above all for its lamps (also for supplying high-quality bronzes to prominent cabinetmakers) and famous throughout the 19th century. Or with works by Henri Vian (1860-1905), another master highly regarded for his gilded bronzes. Weight: 85 kg
Rustic style dining table. Oak wood. Spanish school, 20th century Oak table with a rectangular top and two bases decorated with smooth mouldings joined together by a simple chambrana. This type of dining table, also called a monastery table because it was often used in religious institutions, was common in the Spanish school.
Table. Walnut wood, iron. Spanish school, Guadalajara, 17th century. Table with a smooth rectangular top, four spheres under the four legs (these joined by chamfers that start from rectangular cubes, and carved with spherical elements accompanied by lentil or disk shapes), and a carved waist in the lower area of the front. In this part, there is also a drawer with a key lock, decorated with a carving of plant motifs divided into two rectangular areas; inside, a board creates two spaces. Note the dovetail joints. As this is one of the most common types of furniture in the Castilian school of all ancient Spanish furniture, it is possible to find similar examples in important private collections and in prominent institutions. Compare, for example, with some buffets in the Casa Museo Lope de Vega in Madrid (one with column legs is dated to the first half of the 17th century), or with some of those kept in the Museo Casa de Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares in Madrid (in particular, one has a composition on the legs similar to that of the present one, the one in the museum dated to the 17th century and registered with inventory number CE00113).
Mirror. Embossed metal, glass. 19th century. Signed. Wall mirror with a frame made of embossed metal decorated with an architectural composition with a marked classicist taste and Italian reminiscence, flanked above by two embracing putti and below by two monstrous grotesques. The signature is found under the head of one of these two mythological figures. The theme of child figures or embracing putti was common in art from the 17th century onwards, but especially during the Rococo period, and continued to be used afterwards. Grotesques were common from the Renaissance onwards.
Chandelier or ceiling lamp, Louis XVI style. Bronze, glass. France, 19th century. A ceiling lamp made of gilded bronze with transparent glass elements, with sixteen lights in total. Starting from the top, there is a small circular piece decorated in relief, from which emerges an axis that opens with four arms, which leave the center free for a series of faceted glass pieces (which function as a central visual axis) and go downwards (note the bronze band with a string of pearls), ending in a cup. These four arms divide at the bottom, giving rise to plant forms, scrolls and architectural details. Vase-shaped lighters have been placed on the main arms, from which glass droplets with pearls hang; the secondary arms are finished off with bronze lighters with plant elements (“cups” on bronze plates, almost resembling a flower emerging from leaves), which have glass saucers, some almost flat and others deeper. It is in this lower area where the hanging elements are concentrated in greater abundance: transparent glass teardrops, with pearls (sometimes in pairs, sometimes just one), and others in the shape of a flower. From the central point hangs a disk topped with a faceted sphere. Stylistically, the piece shows clear influences from 18th century French Rococo: rocailles, contrasting curves and counter-curves, vegetal elements with marked movement, etc. This influence is common in 19th century works, being called “Louis XV style”. It is also worth highlighting the similarity of the glass elements of the lamp with works by the Société Baccarat, a company founded with the permission of Louis XV in 1764 and which continues to operate today, specialising in high quality glass. It was common throughout the 19th century and part of the 20th century for prominent Parisian bronze makers to use Baccarat beads in their work (François Linke, E. Colin & Cie, etc.).
Baccarat ceiling lamp. Bronze, glass. France, late 19th century. 36-light, electrified, bronze chandelier with numerous clear glass beads. Numerous different arms emerge from the central axis (decorated with leafy discs from which more glass elements hang) and can be divided into general rows: from above, some curved ones are finished with glass stars and from others a string of beads starts which ends in the lower ones, giving a striking waterfall effect; towards the centre, another row curved upwards holds more beads); the lower arms, thicker, curved and decorated with leaves, emerge from a bronze sphere, form three levels both in height and depth and end in saucers with the supports that, originally, held the candles. Most of the glass beads are polygonal and flatter, and these are combined with elongated teardrops (some rectangular and faceted, others oval). The Société Baccarat (which still makes luxury glassware in this French city) began as a glass workshop founded by Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency, with the permission of Louis XV of France, in 1764. They received their first official order from royalty in 1823, leading to a large number of requests addressed to members of leading European families, nobility, heads of state, etc. Around 1860, the company began signing its products with a registered trademark, usually on the base of the work, although it was also common for other bronzesmiths to use Baccarat glass for its reputation and quality.
Frame with mirror. Ebonized wood, glass. 17th century. It has faults. Rectangular frame made of carved and ebonized wood decorated with a series of smooth mouldings of different widths and depths. The mirror plate is also old and still has a metal piece on the back for hanging it on the wall. Stylistically, it is more reminiscent of Italian examples than Flemish ones, although this way of making frames was very popular in practically all European schools. Weight: 3 kg.
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