Table; Portugal; first half of the 18th century.

Table; Portugal; first half of the 18th century.
Rosewood, carved and turned. Brass mounts.
Measurements: 80 x 136 x 72 cm.
This table responds to the characteristic models of late baroque Portuguese furniture, made in fine woods from overseas trade. The structure is made of rosewood, one of the most appreciated species in 18th century Portuguese cabinetmaking due to the richness of its chromatic grain and its resistance, qualities that allowed both the refined work of carving and the turning of complex profiles. The piece of furniture has a rectangular top with molded edges that rests on a waist with three drawers on the front. Each drawer is decorated with cut-out keyholes and brass handles in a fretwork design, which add a shiny accent to the whole and emphasize the horizontal axis of the cabinet. The tripartite organization of the drawers corresponds to a common typology in the desk or domestic work tables of the period, designed for the storage of small objects, documents or utensils.
The table is supported by four sturdy turned legs with a balustraded profile, joined together by means of turned bulbous section chamfers that run along the lower perimeter to form a rectangular stretcher frame. This system of union not only reinforces structurally the piece of furniture, but also introduces an ornamental rhythm based on the repetition of spherical and strangulated volumes, a distinctive feature of the Iberian baroque tradition. In the lower corners there are small openwork brass mounts that protect and decorate the structural joints, establishing a visual dialogue with the drawer hardware.