Baroque Salamanca cabinet "de columnillas" from the first half of the 17th century.

Salamanca cabinet or "of little columns" baroque of the first half of the XVII century.
Walnut wood and carved and gilded bone.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use and some faults and restorations. Old xylophages not active.
Measurements: 63 x 106 x 40 cm.

The Salamancan bargueños of the 17th century were especially important for representing one of the most refined expressions of Castilian cabinetmaking and late Baroque Spanish furniture. Mainly made in Salamanca and its surroundings, these pieces of furniture stood out for the extraordinary quality of their wood, the complexity of their carpentry and the decorative richness of their fronts, with applications of bone, wrought iron, inlay, moldings and ironwork of great artisan virtuosity. In addition to their practical function as desks or filing and storage furniture, bargueños were prestige pieces linked to the cultured and aristocratic elites, symbolizing economic power and intellectual sophistication. Their importance also lies in how they synthesize Hispano-Muslim, Renaissance and Baroque influences within a Spanish tradition, becoming today fundamental pieces to understand the historical evolution of peninsular furniture and highly appreciated in decorative arts collecting.

The Salamancan bargueño in a symmetrical open sample tender has an architectural structure, usual in the Spanish bargueños of the Baroque period. The front is organized with multiple drawers embellished with small columns, hence its name, which give variety and decorative value to the piece of furniture. All the drawers have metal handles in the shape of a scallop.

This type of desk would continue to be made in Spain until the 19th century due to the strength and appreciation that was (and still is) given to the typology, related to other European examples but always maintaining a series of very particular characteristics and lines.