Lot 7
CHARLES II OAK, MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND BONE INLAID THREE-PART CHEST OF DRAWERS
17TH CENTURY
Auction: Day One | Wed 12th Nov at 10am | Lots 1 to 338
Description
the dentil moulded cornice above a moulded panel long frieze drawer with bracket divides, above a fall front with architectural niches flanking an octagonal moulded panel, all inlaid with mother-of-pearl and bone depicting flowering urns and flower sprays, the panels separated by split-spindle mouldings; the centre part with two geometric moulded long drawers with the same repeated in the lower part, the whole raised on bun feet; initials RH and H to the side
Dimensions
118cm wide, 167cm high, 64cm deep
Footnote
Percy Macquoid, in A History of English Furniture, proposes that the English fashion for incorporating exotic material such as mother-of-pearl, bone, or ivory and inlaid in a so-called “Moorish” style can be traced to the influence of imported Spanish craftsmanship in the mid to late 17th century. According to Macquoid, this taste was introduced to England following the betrothal and subsequent marriage of Catherine of Braganza to Charles II in 1662. The influx of luxury goods accompanying the Portuguese princess’s arrival, including caskets and furnishings adorned with intricate inlay work, is thought to have stimulated English interest in these richly ornamented techniques and motifs, blending Iberian and Islamic decorative traditions with Restoration-era design sensibilities.