Spanish Colonial Wood Carved Chest

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Antique animal spirit chest from the highlands of Guatemala, with wonderful animals carved on the front panel with history and … Read more Antique animal spirit chest from the highlands of Guatemala, with wonderful animals carved on the front panel with history and character, a piece of early folk art. Hand carved construction, beautiful patina, corners are joined with interlocking dovetail joints with separate stand. A rare find. Early 19th Century

During the early Middle Ages the Spanish adopted the Moorish use of chests, and are the predominant furniture items placed around the edges of rooms. The tradition eventually crossed the Atlantic into the Spanish Colonial New World where chests were often decorated with ornate mudejar, or Christo-Mauresque, woodworking techniques as well as baroque relief carving. In Guatemala and Mexico these highly decorative outside influences translated into a more "simple" folk style. See less