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(Islamic & Indian Art, 16th April 2021) λ AN HISPANO-MORESQUE IVORY, STAINED WOOD AND SILVER-INLAID WRITING CABINET (VARGUENO) Possibly Granada, Post-Nasrid Spain, 16th - 17th century λ AN HISPANO-MORESQUE IVORY, STAINED WOOD AND SILVER-INLAID WRITING CABINET (VARGUENO) Possibly Granada, Post-Nasrid Spain, 16th - 17th century Of typical rectangular shape, resting on four rounded metal feet, three sides of the exterior and the interior clad in fine marquetry work in the typical mudejar style with taracea granadina, comprising inlays of tesserae of bone, ivory, stained ivory, coloured wood, ebony and silver usually arranged in a geometric eight-pointed star pattern, the writing slope decorated with fifteen stellar medallions, the interior divided in five drawers of different sizes with elongated bronze handles and two lateral panels covering rectangular niches, each panel framed by a geometric lattice band with either triangles or arrow-shaped patterns, 33.2cm x 25cm x 43cm. Vargueno (Es. bargueño) is a wooden cabinet of mixed Spanish and Oriental origin that first appeared in Europe in the late Middle Ages and became a common article of furniture in the Spanish colonial empire from the 16th century onward. These pieces of furniture together with ivory-inlaid chests became very prominent in Spanish interiors, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. The hot climate of southern Spain often caused large areas of solid wood to split and warp, providing the perfect excuse for Moorish craftsmen to experiment with inlays and decorations made of small elements of different coloured woods (G. Hardendorff Burr, Hispanic Furniture from the Fifteenth through the Eighteenth Century, 1964, p. 33). Soon after, the mudejar style was born: complex and repetitive designs of Islamic influence could be scaled down to miniature geometric patterns producing ivory-inlaid star and flower motifs combined with budded scrolls and lattice work, leaving no surface undecorated. The basic motif usually encountered on pieces of furniture produced in Granada is the eight-pointed star (taracea granadina), which entered the architectural repertoire of Nasrid buildings like the Mezquita and Madina Azahara from pre-Islamic mosaics (Maria Paz Aguilo Alonso, El Mueble en Espana: Siglos XVI - XVII, 1993, p. 164). Comparable chests presenting a very similar decorative arrangement to our writing desk and dated to the 16th - 17th century can be seen in the Museo Arqueologico de la Alhambra (Ibidem, p. 228, fig. 108) and in a private Spanish collection (Ibidem, p. 280, fig. 202). In particular, the last example features the exact same layout of internal drawers, with the upper and lower registers slightly larger and with rectangular panels covering niches to the sides in the centre. This item may require Export or CITES licences in order to leave the UK or the European Union. It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that lots have the relevant licences before shipping. (Qty: 1) 33.2cm x 25cm x 43cm