Spanish chest, 17th century. Wood upholstered... Lot 101

Spanish chest, 17th century. Wood upholstered in leather. Cloth lined interior. Lock in good condition. The keys are preserved. Good state of preservation. Bordeaux-coloured velvet cloth lined base.The right rear leg is not attached to the structure. Measurements: 58 x 117 x 42 cm (chest); 70 cm (height with the chest closed and the pedestal); 100 cm (height with the chest open and the punishment). A Spanish chest from the Baroque period, with a domed lid and a rectangular body. Its wooden core is lined with leather and decorated with studded metalwork that depicts rosettes and other plant-inspired representations on the surface. It has metal fittings and iron side handles. It is raised on zoomorphic, synthesised legs. Its interior, lined with fabric, is compartmentalised in two parts and has four side drawers and a fifth, wider drawer at the bottom. This type of furniture was very common in Spain, and was often used to store objects of a certain value such as clothes, crockery, etc. In the 17th century, walnut chests were very common in Castile in the Valladolid area, while in the more northerly areas they were usually made of chestnut. As a typology, two-key chests are predominant. Seventeenth-century Spanish furniture was characterised by its sobriety and the emergence of new typologies. Functionality was sought after over decoration, moving away from the pompous solutions of previous periods. During the reign of Philip III (1598-1621) we find a style still closely linked to the 16th century. There is a strong influence of the Escorial style, but with a greater tendency towards geometrisation and simplification of forms.