Chest of drawers; Catalonia, 18th century.

Chest of drawers; Catalonia, 18th century.
Pine wood frame, lacquered and gilded.
This piece is documented in the article: ORDOÑEZ, C., “A Brief Note on European Lacquer Techniques.” Ge-conservación (No. 17, 2020).
A matching pair of this chest of drawers is referenced in the book: PIERA, M. & MESTRES, A., “Furniture in Catalonia: The Domestic Space from the Gothic to Modernism,” p. 178. From the JUNYENT Collection.
It shows signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 102 x 128 x 60 cm.
The Chinese-style decoration in green patent leather or lacquer and gilded polychrome on this 18th-century Catalan chest of drawers finds an interesting parallel in a piece of furniture from the Junyent Collection, published in *Furniture in Catalonia*. Domestic Space from the Gothic to Modernism, by M. Piera and A. Mestres, p. 178 (Angle, 1999). It is an outstanding example of the incorporation of Oriental taste into Catalan furniture of the period, whose ornamental and chromatic richness constitutes its main appeal.
The choice of a green background—unusual compared to the traditional Asian-inspired black or red backgrounds—lends a special luminosity to the painted compositions, in which golden tones are combined with ochres and earthy hues, creating an effect of great chromatic and pictorial richness.Inspired by Chinese and Japanese lacquers imported during that period, its ornamental repertoire combines exotic gardens, Oriental-inspired architecture, birds with fantastical plumage, and figures dressed in the Asian style with figures in a fully Rococo style. The latter, depicted in elegant poses and wearing Western attire, reflect the European reinterpretation of the Eastern imagination, adapted to the decorative tastes of the time.
From a structural standpoint, the chest of drawers retains a Baroque configuration, with a rectangular plan and chamfered front corners, three main rows of drawers, and a distinct upper section incorporating two narrower drawers. The orderly arrangement of the drawer fronts, the molded cornice, and the carved base with bracket-style legs—inspired by Eastern motifs—are hallmarks of the design.
In Catalonia, Oriental tastes were incorporated into the furniture of affluent households during the 18th century, facilitated by European trade networks and the activity of local workshops. Household inventories from the period document both imported lacquered furniture—particularly from the Netherlands—and pieces crafted by local artisans who reinterpreted these designs. Barcelona thus participated in an international decorative trend, adapting it to the construction and ornamental traditions characteristic of Catalan furniture.