Chest. Walnut wood, textile remains, wrought iron. 17th century. Rectangular chest or chest made of walnut wood with a flat lid with fine mouldings on the outside, another one running along the fronts of the piece and dodging the lock on the front in a downwards peak and, again, a slight staggering based on these motifs on the lower part, on the edge cut with curves and counter-curves that partially hides the tubular legs with discs of the piece of furniture. On the sides there are two metal handles, and in the corners two corner pieces (in each one) reinforce and decorate (simple plant elements cut out in the plate). The lock shield is decorated with animals and plant motifs; the hinges and corresponding part of the bolt, on the inside of the lid, have remains of red textile highlighting the cut-out decoration on their ends. The shape of this chest, rectangular with a flat lid, is also the usual one in this type of furniture since the Gothic period in the Spanish school. It is important to highlight the importance that this typology had in Spanish furniture, as it would last until the 19th century, especially in Andalusia, with only slight changes, the most notable of which would be the change from decorative elements in openwork iron, as in the present example, to using gilded brass studs 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 cms
ANTIQUES
Ref.: ZF0464
