Unknown artist, Chest, early 1700s. Spanish cedar, leather, and gilded iron; 24½ × 42⅛ × 20⅞ in. Gift of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros in honor of Natalia Majluf, 2017.123.

height: 24 7/16 in, 62.0713 cm; width: 42 1/8 in, 106.9975 cm; depth: 20 7/8 in, 53.0225 cm

Mayer Center, Latin American Art

Latin American Art

This object is currently on view

The manufacture of furnishings and sumptuary objects in embossed polychromatic leather was considerably advanced in the Viceroyalty of Peru. The city of Huamanga (Ayacucho) was the most important center for this type of manufacture. The production of furniture for storage and transportation was particularly specialized. The repertoire of designs ranged from small boxes or chests to larger pieces such as portable desks and trunks. Embossed leather was also notably used in the cushions and backrests. The intricate decoration of Peruvian leather furnishings generally covers their entire surfaces, as is the case with this trunk. Its decorative motifs fuse the artistic traditions of Spain and the Americas in an amalgam of elements that commonly includes foliage and small animals. The keyhole and other hardware are all made of wrought iron, and in the most luxurious furnishings the metal was gilt, as is the case in this piece, which still contains remains of the original gilding.

-- Jorge Rivas Pérez, Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator of Latin American Art, 2019

Provenance research is on-going at the Denver Art Museum. Please e-mail provenance@denverartmuseum.org, if you have questions, or if you have additional information to share with us.

• "The Arts in Latin America"— Philadelphia Museum of Art, September 20-December 31, 2006
• Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City, February 3-May 6, 2007
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art, June 10-September 3, 2007