Coffer
c. 1750
Medium
Wood, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, silver, glass, and paint
Dimensions
13.4 × 41.3 × 41 cm (5 1/4 × 16 1/4 × 16 1/8 in.)
Classification
box
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
250531
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This coffer, or box, reflects a blending of designs: octagonal spice boxes from India; inlay techniques of mother-of-pearl from Japan; and in the interior, gold-painted scenes—a hut, figures, and birds in an imaginary landscape—from Chinese lacquer screens. Lima craftsmen absorbed all of these influences from the traffic of Asian goods through the Philippines and other Spanish Pacific colonies. This piece served as a receptacle for jewelry, combs, and other materials for a member of colonial Per...