Indo-Portuguese 'Contador' Cabinet
India (Goa), 17th century
Wood inlaid ebony and ivory with gilt copper fittings
132 cm high, 90 cm wide, 49 cm deep
This item contains less than 10% ivory and has been registered with Defra.
132 cm high, 90 cm wide, 49 cm deep
This item contains less than 10% ivory and has been registered with Defra.
A4330
Further images
This Goan cabinet was commissioned for the Portuguese market. Most surviving examples of its kind are standing on mermaid-like figures that may correspond to snake creatures in Hindu iconography, nagas and naginis, which are considered auspicious. Luxurious cabinets such as this style reflect 17th century European taste in furniture. It is precisely this type of furniture that fuelled the trade in luxury goods between India and Europe.
A similar cabinet is in the Louvre, Paris. (no. OA 5974), dated to 1600–1800. Rather than mermaids, it stands on parrot legs.
Literature:
Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods from India: The Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, V&A Publications, London, 2002, p. 58-59
A similar cabinet is in the Louvre, Paris. (no. OA 5974), dated to 1600–1800. Rather than mermaids, it stands on parrot legs.
Literature:
Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods from India: The Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, V&A Publications, London, 2002, p. 58-59