Antique Damascus Mother-of-pearl and Specimen Wood Inlaid Table Chest

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Antique Damascus Mother-of-pearl and Specimen Wood Inlaid Table Chest

About the Item

This is a magnificent Syrian Damascus mother of pearl and specimen wood inlaid table chest, dating from the late 19th Century. The top of this superb chest is domed and hinged and opens to reveal a spacious lined storage space above four graceful small frieze drawers, two on each side of the chest. It is complete with the original working lock and key with tassel. This chest is exquisitely crafted. Its unique quality and design will soon become the centrepiece of your furniture collection. Condition: Excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and waxed in our workshops - please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 39 x width 53 x depth 33 Dimensions in inches: Height 15.4 x width 20.9 x depth 13.0 Syria and its people are known for many things, but chief among those perhaps is their culture’s long history of art and craftsmanship, particularly with regard to wood furniture and cabinetry. Syrian carpenters, joiners, and cabinetmakers have a rich tradition of making ornate and intricately carved pieces of furniture, cabinets, decorative boxes and doors. These functional pieces of art are often inlaid with mother of pearl, carved and hand painted designs and motifs, or sometimes a combination of other woods, known as mosaic wood. Nacre also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. The outer layer of pearls and the inside layer of pearl oyster and freshwater pearl mussel shells are made of nacre. Both black and white nacre are and were used for design purposes. They were used as decorative motif used in cabinet making or silversmithing. The natural nacre may be artificially tinted to almost any colour. Nacre tesserae may be cut into shapes and laminated to a ceramic tile or marble base. The tesserae are hand-placed and closely sandwiched together, creating an irregular mosaic or pattern (such as a weave). The laminated material is typically about 2 mm thick. The tesserae are then lacquered and polished creating a durable and glossy surface.

Dimensions:
Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)Width: 20.87 in (53 cm)Depth: 13 in (33 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Mother-of-Pearl,Wood
Place of Origin:
Syria
Period:
1890-1899
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1890
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 094411stDibs: LU950614095191