Scarce 17th Century Indo-Portuguese Caixa Contador - Antique Table Box

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Scarce 17th Century Indo-Portuguese Caixa Contador - Antique Table Box

About the Item

We're proud to present this exceptionally rare and important 400 year old early Baroque Period Indo-Portuguese caixa contador, in Rosewood, Teak, Ebony, Bone, and Ivory marquetry-work, dating to the first half of the 17th century, probably made in Gujarat or Sindh, India, and finished in royal Mughal court taste. Exquisitely hand-crafted, circa 1625, the scarce and unusual fine quality antique cabinet features a rectangular form teakwood carcass of dovetailed construction, intricately detailed and richly decorated in rosewood palisander, ebony moldings, bone and ivory inlaid string banding, geometric, and flower head inlay, the side panels adorned with hand-forged iron carrying handles, drop front door on iron strap hinges, opening to reveal an interior fitted with an array six drawers of various size, all constructed with hand cut dovetail joinery, paneled, the central with ornate shield shaped iron escutcheon plate. NOTES: A similar example is known to exist in a important Portuguese private collection in Oporto. With other similarly designed examples seen in various museum collections, including the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon. Fall front cabinets such as this were designed for and popular amongst European merchants, traders and officials living and traveling in Asia. This cabinet belongs to one of the earliest identifiable groups of furniture made in India under Portuguese patronage in the 16th and early 17th Centuries. A caixa contador, (loosely translated money safe - tellar box - money lenders counter) is a small portable chest of drawers, functioning as a table / desk box, it was used for storing and transporting the personal valuables, such as money, jewelry, and writing instruments, (using the fall front flap as a writing desk surface) as well as other important items and documents. When Europeans first arrived in Asia the absence of chairs and chair-height furniture such as tables meant that they found the vast majority of native furniture unsuitable for use. Instead, they commissioned their own pieces from local craftsmen, leading to the development of unique Eurasian styles. The present cabinet is an exceptional example of this style, combining the European elements with Indian craftsmanship of the highest calibre. The resulting effect is of exotic opulence, combining both Western and Eastern traditions. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION: Property of a private museum quality San Antonio, Texas collection Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, est.1983, Austin, Texas DIMENSIONS: (approx) 7" High, 11.25" Wide, 8" Deep Door open: 13" Deep 7.25 lbs Rare, rustically elegant, interesting, and uniquely conversational, this sophisticated diminutive chest is the perfect decorative object for your coffee table, console, desk, or large shelf. HISTORY: In the 16th Century, a thousand years after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Portuguese became the first European power to begin trading in the Indian Ocean. They were in South India a few years before the Moghuls appeared in the North. In the early 16th century, they set up their trading posts (factories) throughout the coastal areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with their capital in Goa in South West India on the Malabar Coast. Portuguese India (1505–1961) was a colonial state of the Portuguese Empire founded in 1505, with the capital of Portuguese India serving as the governing centre of a string of Portuguese fortresses and settlements along the Indian Ocean. In 1498, the number of Europeans residents in the area was merely a few tens of thousands. By 1580, Goa was a sophisticated city with its own brand of Indo-Portuguese society In the 1500s/1600s, English, French, British, Dutch East India Companies became active in Far East trading in a meaningful way about a hundred and fifty years after the Portuguese. They too set up their posts throughout the Indian Ocean 17th-century French explorer François Pyrard de Laval, who is remembered for his 10-year sojourn in South Asia, bears witness accounts that the Gujaratis were always prepared to learn workmanship from the Portuguese, also in turn imparting skills to the Portuguese. This cabinet belongs to a small but well-documented group of cabinets combining Mughal craftsmanship with Europeanising element. CONDITION: A superb example, with wonderful original patina over the whole. Elegantly aged antique teak-wood glow, remarkable grain detail, soft, mellow, lustrous sheen of warmth, and depth. Makes for a spectacular presentation piece, full of rich antique character, rustic old world charm and lovely historical depth aquired from 400 years of life. Expected signs of wear, including some minor loss and old restoration, two old long ago replaced drawers. The key has been lost to time. Overall in exceptional shape, solid, strong and sturdy, with highly desirable naturally distressed, patinated, original finish.

Dimensions:
Height: 7 in (17.78 cm)Width: 11.25 in (28.58 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
Style:
Baroque (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bone,Ebony,Iron,Ivory,Rosewood,Teak,Forged,Hand-Carved,Hand-Crafted,Inlay,Joinery,Marquetry
Place of Origin:
India
Period:
17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1625
Condition:
Replacements made: Two long ago replaced drawers. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. Expected signs of wear, including some minor loss and old restoration, two long ago replaced drawers. The key has been lost to time. Overall in exceptional shape, solid, strong with highly desirable naturally distressed, patinated, original finish.
Seller Location:
Forney, TX
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5977226081542