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São Roque

Nanban Cabinet

54.0 x 78.0 x 41.7 cm

description

A Nanban fall-front cabinet in lacquered wood, modelled after an Iberian prototype. The cabinet is covered with gilded copper plaques decorated with a black lacquered pattern of fish scales, with ball-shaped gilded copper nails set at the centre of each scale. Made in a much more expensive and difficult-to-work material, the plaques and the fish scale pattern are similar to the decoration of a rare group of Nanban lacquered furniture pieces covered with mother-of-pearl, featuring the same pattern. This pattern follows the taste of Gujarati production with mother-of-pearl tesserae.

At present, no other Nanban piece is known with gilded copper sheets decorated with a lacquered fish scale pattern like the present piece.

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