Ark. Carved wood, metal, textile, traces of polychromy. Salamanca area, 17th century. A rectangular chest with a flat lid, carved from wood, retaining traces of its original polychromy, corner pieces, and other metal fittings, as well as textile details in certain areas. The exterior is decorated with a molding along its lower section featuring curved motifs and simple carved vegetal decoration arranged in a rigid symmetry, highlighting a capital inscription on the front (“Viva María / Fernandez”) alluding to the original owner of the piece. The interior is undecorated, with only the hinge fittings and exposed wood. The flat-lidded, rectangular chest was a common model in Spanish art from the Middle Ages onward, its decorative elements varying with the passage of time and changing styles. The metal components of the chest (corner pieces on red fabric, a lock shield on the front, internal hinges, handles on the sides for moving it, etc.) feature a wavy and finial decoration reminiscent of Baroque designs, as well as columns (flanking the keyhole). The carved decoration on the front (simplified flowers, stems, leaves, and perched birds, with simple polychromy in three colors—red, green, and yellow) is not particularly refined (a common feature in folk examples) and follows a composition and color scheme typical of folk chests from the Salamanca area. Walnut was commonly used in its construction (as with all Spanish furniture, due to the wood's durability and abundance at the time). Adding a feminine name in capital letters on the front (a detail that would indicate that the present piece of furniture is a chest made to store a wedding trousseau, hence the abundance of decoration on a popular utilitarian piece and the presence of a lock with a key) is another element to highlight in the present piece of furniture. A similar model is mentioned in one of the most frequently used reference books on Spanish furniture, ENRIQUEZ ARRANZ, Maria Dolores. El mueble español en los siglos XV, XVI y XVII. 1951. p. 39; cat. no. 74; plate 74; A beautiful example of a bridal chest or ark, in the popular Spanish style of the 17th century, with rudimentary carvings forming a series of stems, flowers, and animals. It is polychrome and bears the name of its owner in the center: 'Viva María Hernández'. .
· Size: 58x162x65 cms.
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