Important Escritorio, Villa Alta de San Ildefonso, Oaxaca. 17th Century.
Important Escritorio, Villa Alta de San Ildefonso, Oaxaca. 17th Century.
Rare Escritorio, Villa Alta de San Ildefonso, Oaxaca. 17th Century.
A very rare inlaid wood bargueño chest with wrought iron lock and key, wooden nails. The fold-down front panel opens to reveal drawers with fantastical botanical, floral and animal motifs. Designs were carved and incised into wood and infilled with a black substance known as zulaque made from burnt lime and oil combined with black vegetable dye extracted from the palo de Campeche tree. The town of Villa Alta de San Ildefonso in Oaxaca was known for its unique marquetry techniques employing the graphic imagery this unique technique allowed . The designs used in their decorative patterns or scenes for objects inspired by European engravings.
19.375 x 12.5 x 10 in (49.22 x 31.8 x 25.4 cm)
Literature:
Aymes, Carla, and Gustavo Curiel. Carpinteros De La Sierra : El Mobiliario Taraceado De La Villa Alta De San Ildefonso, Oaxaca (siglos Xvii Y Xviii). México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, 2019.
