λ A HISPANO-MORESQUE MUDEJAR IVORY-INLAID WALNUT SCRIBE'S CHEST
Barcelona, Post-Nasrid Spain, 16th - 17th century

Of typical rectangular shape, resting on a flat and plain wooden base, surmounted by a lid with two metal hinges, the sides, and both the interior and exterior of the lid clad in fine ivory and bone micro-mosaic marquetry work (taracea), the decoration on the exterior of the lid consisting of a large central square filled with a chessboard flanked by smaller sunburst roundels, all filled with interlacing geometric and stellar patterns, mostly in the form of six-pointed stars, the interior of the lid repeating similar patterns and a large circular medallion in the centre enhanced with strapwork, geometric motifs, and a chequered background, surrounded by a scalloped, flower-like ribbon, the external edges bordered by diamond-shaped friezes, the sides with concentric rectangular panels featuring a variety of designs including six and twelve-pointed star-filled boards, hexagonal star grids, and interlocking strapwork roundels with six-pointed, the inner walls lined in worn dark green velvet, accompanied by its metal key featuring the same geometric motif of the ivory-inlaid lock plate, 22.2cm x 51.7cm x 36cm.

The practice of inlaying ivory into walnut wood dates back to the Umayyad period and is recorded in both Spain and North Africa. Luxury furniture decorated with micro-mosaics was particularly popular under Nasrid patronage in 14th and 15th-century Spain, and the present chest, though slightly later in date, presents a fine example of the enduring legacy of this tradition. A larger ivory-inlaid walnut chest attributed to the work of carpenters from 16th-century Barcelona can be seen for comparison in the publication Caliphs and Kings: the art and influence of Islamic Spain - selections from the Hispanic Society of America, New York, 2004, cat. 86, p. 108. The decoration on the sides matches the style and variety of the present lot, suggesting a similar site of manufacture and dating.

Analogous chests and caskets have successfully sold at auction in the London market before, please see Christie's London, 6 October 2011, lot 167; Christie's South Kensington, 11 April 2014, lot 138; and more recently, these Rooms, 22 April 2020, lot 103 and 28 April 2023, lot 446.

This lot contains ivory and has been registered as exempt in the UK in accordance with the UK Ivory Act 2018.

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