Chest (Baúl)

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Chest (Baúl)

Philippines, circa 1700
Furnishings; Furniture
Philippine mahogany and wrought-iron metalwork
26 × 43 × 23 in. (66 × 109.2 × 58.4 cm)
Gift of Ernest Schernikow (M.2019.269)
Not currently on public view

Provenance

Ernest Schernikow, San Francisco, c. late 19th–early 20th century; on loan to the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science, and Art (LACMA’s parent institution), 1933–2019; LACMA, 2019.

Label

Trunks were a typical product of the prosperous Manila Galleon trade.

...

Trunks were a typical product of the prosperous Manila Galleon trade. When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the sixteenth century, they capitalized on existing traditions of woodcarving and an abundance of fine woods by incorporating carved decoration into newly built churches, retablos (altarpieces), and a range of luxury export goods. This travel chest bears an elaborately rendered vegetal motif across its surfaces, while the dovetail joints on the sides exemplify the dexterous artistry of the piece. Below the lock plate is a double-headed eagle—a symbol of the Spanish monarchy.


From exhibition Archive of the World, 2022 (for more information see the catalogue entry by Rachel Kaplan in the accompanying publication, cat. no. 79, pp. 310–12)
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Bibliography

  • Katzew, Ilona, ed. Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800: Highlights from LACMA’s Collection. Exh. Cat. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; New York: DelMonico Books/D.A.P., 2022.

Exhibition history

  • Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800 Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, June 12, 2022 - October 30, 2022
  • Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800 Nashville, TN, Frist Art Museum, October 20, 2023 - January 28, 2024