No two lines quite agree on this 18th-century Spanish cabinet. The doors are different widths, the panels unevenly proportioned and the outer edges gently bulge. Made in the tradition of the armario de pastor, or shepherd’s cabinet, it belongs to a kind of vernacular mountain furniture built from the timber at hand.
Its surface is particularly special. Over centuries, it has accrued layers and traces of warm ochre, umber and bare timber, interrupted by small, brilliant remnants of lapis-blue paint.
Even the hinges have their own character. Each is different, cut from sheets of iron and fixed with nails bent into fully functioning mechanisms. Inside, four broad timber shelves run the full width and depth.
There is so much of its making still visible that the cabinet feels like a relic in itself. Every decision, from the uneven panels to the improvised ironwork, remains legible three centuries later. We feel insane to be selling it.
Note that the last of the images were taken in a softer light, making the wood’s tone more muted. The cabinet changes considerably depending on the light, making it particularly worth viewing in person.
Height: 173.5cm
Width: 98cm
Collection from Brixton, London or arranged delivery.
No two lines quite agree on this 18th-century Spanish cabinet. The doors are different widths, the panels unevenly proportioned and the outer edges gently bulge. Made in the tradition of the armario de pastor, or shepherd’s cabinet, it belongs to a kind of vernacular mountain furniture built from the timber at hand.
Its surface is particularly special. Over centuries, it has accrued layers and traces of warm ochre, umber and bare timber, interrupted by small, brilliant remnants of lapis-blue paint.
Even the hinges have their own character. Each is different, cut from sheets of iron and fixed with nails bent into fully functioning mechanisms. Inside, four broad timber shelves run the full width and depth.
There is so much of its making still visible that the cabinet feels like a relic in itself. Every decision, from the uneven panels to the improvised ironwork, remains legible three centuries later. We feel insane to be selling it.
Note that the last of the images were taken in a softer light, making the wood’s tone more muted. The cabinet changes considerably depending on the light, making it particularly worth viewing in person.
Height: 173.5cm
Width: 98cm
Collection from Brixton, London or arranged delivery.
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