Bargueño and matching table. Neo-Mudejar, late 19th century.

Bargueño and matching table. Neo-Mudejar, late nineteenth century.
With Granada inlay.
In walnut, inlaid with various fine woods and bone.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use and some faults.
Measurements: 80 x 90 x 35 cm (cabinet); 90 x 105 x 42 cm (table).

Extraordinary set of bargueño and support table that is a paradigmatic example of Spanish luxury furniture of the late nineteenth century.

It is a Neo-Mudejar style furniture, also known as Alhambrista. This historicist style flourished in Spain, and especially in Granada, in the second half of the 19th century, driven by the romantic spirit and the revaluation of the heritage of Al-Andalus, with the Alhambra as an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

The neo-Mudejar style is evident in all the elements: the architectural structure of the table, with its arches; the geometric and stylized vegetal decoration. And, above all, the use of the inlay technique.

This is a joinery technique that consists of inlaying small pieces of different materials (fine woods of different colors, bone or ivory) into the base wood to create decorative patterns. Specifically, this piece combines a hardwood frame (probably walnut) with inlays of different fine woods and bone. The execution is of exceptional finesse, creating complex lacquerwork motifs (geometric patterns of intertwined lines) and stars.

The bargueño has two central doors. Each door is dominated by a large eight-pointed star motif, a classic design of Islamic and Mudejar art. These stars are made of inlaid light bone material on a dark wood background, and are in turn framed by elaborate fretwork and geometric motifs.

The sides of the cabinet repeat the decorative quality, with a different, more floral star motif also inlaid.

The upper part is crowned by an openwork gallery or cresting. It is composed of small turned pinnacles and decorative arches reminiscent of the decorative finials of Nasrid architecture. The bargueño rests on flattened ball feet, also decorated with inlay.

The interior confirms the richness of the piece, accentuating the "horror vacui" typical of this style. The central niche with a lobed arch imitates a mihrab or arch of the Patio de los Leones. A tracery of bone or ivory ornaments the arch.

The organization in multiple drawers of different sizes with varied designs (rosettes, arches) is the essence of the bargueño. Each drawer front is treated as a small independent inlay painting.

The table is a support designed specifically for the bargueño. It is an architectural piece in itself. It is notable for its six turned and balustraded legs, joined at the top. Most striking are the poly-lobed arches that connect the front legs. They are a direct reference to the arches of the Alhambra, creating a sense of lightness and elegance.

The entire visible surface of the table is profusely decorated with the same inlaid stars and geometric motifs as the bargueño.