A SPANISH IRON-MOUNTED AND BONE-INLAID PARCEL-GILT WALNUT VARGUENO

The present lot is comparable to the vargueño in the Victoria & Albert Museum, illustrated in C. Wilk, Western Furniture. 1350 to the present day, London, 1996, p. 54-55. The Vargueño or escritorio, was the most important contribution to the Western furniture tradition from Spain. These travelling writing cabinets originated in the early 16th century, and were originally adorned with the moresque or Mudejar style ornamentation. After 1552 under the influence of Fransisco de Villapando's translation of Sebastiano Sarlio's treatise L'Architectura the decorative scheme became more classical, typical features of which are the broken arched cornice, collumns and general architectural design of the fitted interior.
Comparable vargueños were sold at Christie's London, 10 November 2005, lot 105, and Christie's, New York, 25-26 September 2001, lot 213.
Another one is illustrated in C. Wilk, Western Furniture. 1350 to the present day, London, 1996, p. 54-55.