Spanish grille, late 17th century.

Spanish grille, late seventeenth century.
Patinated wrought iron.
Lock with openwork decoration and adorned with a shell topped by a cross.
It has an export permit.
It presents good general state of preservation, with patina typical of its age. It has a desoldered bar.
Measurements: 215 x 201 x 8 cm.

Spanish wrought iron patinated grille, dated at the end of the XVII century, composed of a rectangular structure of great format organized by means of vertical balustraded bars, horizontal crosspieces and upper lanceolate finials of flaming profile. The piece responds to the tradition of Hispanic grillwork of the Baroque period, in which this type of enclosure fulfilled a double function: protective and ornamental, both in religious and civil settings. The grille, as an architectural element, served to close or separate spaces while allowing a view between them, a function especially relevant in chapels, choirs, openings and interior accesses.

The ensemble stands out for the regularity of its composition and the alternation of smooth bars and molded bodies, which generate a vertical rhythm of notable architectural presence. The balustraded bars, inherited from consolidated models in Renaissance and Plateresque ironwork, continued to be used during the following centuries as an ornamental resource of great visual effectiveness. Spanish railings from the 15th to the 17th centuries document the evolution from cylindrical or square bars to a series of more slender balusters, enriched with friezes, finials and decorative work.

Of special interest is the central lock, with an openwork plate and decoration of a scallop or shell crowned by a cross. This motif allows the piece to be iconographically related to the Jacobean sphere, since the scallop was, since the Middle Ages, one of the most recognizable emblems of the pilgrim and the Camino de Santiago. The presence of the shell, together with the cross, could allude to a space linked to the devotion to Santiago de Compostela, although this hypothesis should be approached with caution as long as there is no documentation of provenance.

Because of its scale, quality of forging and symbolic richness, the work is a notable example of Spanish artistic ironwork of the Baroque period. Its marked verticality, the power of the upper finials and the careful ironwork reinforce its monumental character, making it a particularly attractive piece both from an architectural and collector's point of view.