A Spanish Baroque Carved Walnut Table, 17th / 18th Century

A Spanish Baroque Carved Walnut Table, 17th / 18th Century

The thick rectangular overhanging plank top above a frieze fitted with three drawers, each front chip-carved with lozenge and geometric ornament and fitted with an iron ring pull, above a carved frieze rail, on square chip-carved legs joined by stretchers.

Catalogue note:
The mesa de cajones, a sturdy table with drawers in the frieze, was one of the staple forms of Spanish furniture from the late sixteenth century onward, used as a writing table, side table or work surface in houses, convents and estates across the Peninsula. This example shows the form’s characteristic features: a massive plank top with deep overhang, square legs and stretchers of robust construction, and decoration confined to shallow chip carving, here worked in lozenges and geometric bands across the drawer fronts, frieze and legs. The iron ring pulls and the deep, sun-bleached patina of the top add to its strongly sculptural, architectural presence. Equally effective as a desk, console or kitchen table, it brings the austere beauty of Spanish country furniture to a contemporary interior.