SPANISH COLONIAL, MEXICO OR PERU, LATE 17TH OR EARLY 18TH CENTURY

This luxurious mother-of-pearl casket is one of a rare group of Spanish colonial boxes covered in mother-of-pearl inlay divided by thinly cut tortoiseshell borders. These are thought to originate from Mexico or Peru; compare to a large desk and bookcase in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. W.3:1-7-1943). However, a finely engraved mother-of-pearl sewing box in the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros collection is catalogued as 'Peru or Philippines', with reference to artists from Manila producing such pieces for export to the vice-royalties (Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820, exh. cat., J. Richel, ed., 2006, no. 1-24).