Indo-Portuguese teak cabinet of ebony and ivory inlaid decoration and finely scalloped and pierced mercury gilt hardware.

Made in Goa in the mid-17th century, it was built in two independent sections. One upper parallelepiped box shaped section with ten drawers, simulating twelve of identical size, arranged in four superimposed tiers. It rests on a two drawer stand supported on four double stretchered legs that terminate on rounded scroll feet over small rectangular socles.

The cabinet front, as well as the drawers, are framed by peripheral ebony borders with rails and stiles adorned with hemispherical tacks.

On the drawer fronts, pairs of concisely and schematically drawn lions, seating symmetrically face to face, flanking the lock escutcheons, whose eyes, highlighted in ivory, seem to shine shrewdly as if watching something or someone.

On the cabinet’s top panel a characteristic symmetrical “carpet like” decorative composition from which stands out, centrally, the sacred Christogram IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator – “Jesus Saviour of Men”) with the insignia for the Company of Jesus – the Cross and the Three Crucifixion nails, punctuated by five radiant ebony and ivory stars. This composition is enclosed by two concentric circles that isolate it from a field of phytomorphic scrolls within a rectangle which, is in turn surrounded by a wide band border - encased by two plain stripes – of identical foliage scroll decorative motifs centred by frontally facing lion heads. In each corner a stylised flowering fleur-de-lis. The whole composition is framed peripherally by a broad, plain ebony border.

The lateral panels repeat the top decorative motifs, in this instance centred by finely scalloped and pierce oval gilt copper medallions, from which hang the box oval ring handles.

The back elevation is centred by a circle divided in four equal sections with palms converging to its centre, its decorative composition forming a rosette that alternates fleurs-de-lis and palms. The large ground is peripherally framed by two mirrored arches of identical elements and enclosed by the plain ebony band.

The cabinet lower section, the stand or table, is defined by a rectangular top, of mild peripheral protruding shoulder - into which the box fits – with corners protected by fine scalloped and pierced hardware. It rests onto a two drawer case of ebony frames and stiles adorned by rounded copper tacks. The drawer fronts are decorated with face to face seated lions amongst phytomorphic scrolls, while the sides are centred by lion heads surrounded by identical foliage motifs.

The four mildly diverging square section legs, joined by double stretchers, are decorated by pairs of opposing fleur-de-lis buds alternating with small circles, terminating in a mythical scalloped and pierced marquetry Jatāyuh vulture rolling on itself, one of its talons standing out from the stand foot.

Cabinet typologies originating from Portuguese controlled territories in India can be divided in two groups[1], both autochthonous reinterpretations of European prototypes forms and functions.

A more compact one whose stand rests on Nagini[2], fertility and prosperity deities, guardians of treasures and protectors of sailors, commonly depicted with women’s heads and torsos, touching their breasts and with serpent shaped lower limbs, in a decoration densely filled by secant circles, known as Diaprés, in a characteristic horror vacui of Persian origin; and another group of forms and decoration similar to the cabinet herewith described, which is closer to its European made counterparts.

Extant contemporary writings and inventories do sometimes refer to the famous cabinets made in “the fashion of Germany”[3] in the 1600s, which have close similarities with Spanish bargueños or vargueños, both in terms of shape and inlaid decoration (taracea granadina), well within the scope of mudéjar art[4], which, as we well know, was well rooted in its contemporary Portuguese art.

Indo-Portuguese cabinets however, differ from these Western roots for the absence of the fall front, whose inner surface was used for writing, as well as for the recurrent use of exotic timbers such as ebony, teak and sissoo.

In this specific cabinet the stand reminds us of the often mentioned “Philippine” table of diverging legs joined by X shaped fasteners, which corresponded to the matching supporting stands for the above mentioned bargueños; or even the “Savonarola” type table of “S” shaped legs that will evolve into what became known as “Iberian lyre foot”[5].

These did certainly figure amongst the earliest models, artistically placed between Renaissance and Mannerism, taken by the Portuguese to the Orient. It’s nonetheless important to refer that the decorative principle of mudéjar cabinets was not totally unfamiliar to the local cabinet makers, in virtue of their Islamic essence.

Identical materials and decorative motifs emerge in various furniture pieces extant in Goa, mostly vestment chests or other related typologies. Based on comparative studies, the art historian Pedro Dias imputes to this region, the origin of a large group of objects of identical characteristics that includes cabinets, cupboards and centre and writing tables and amongst others[6].

The chronicler Diogo do Couto (1542-1616), who lived in India for approximately fifty seven years of his life and studied and observed first-hand, life in those faraway lands, refers in his work “Soldado Prático” that on the ground floor of the houses of the Treasurers and Tax Officers in Goa there were shops where turners and carpenters made “marquetry cabinets”[7]. At the time Goa, the capital city of the Portuguese territories in India had become a major centre for the production of luxury goods that were sold in its main street, the “Rua Direita”, the most important trading thoroughfare in the city, with street facing shops and stores on the lower floors of most two and three story buildings[8].

By analysing the faunal elements portrayed in the decoration of this cabinet – the lion and the Jatāyuh vulture, of concise and schematic outlines – it seems likely that they were deliberately selected and combined for their apotropaic role in protecting and precious objects that were safe kept in the various drawers of this cabinet.

The lion appears repeatedly inlaid, both in pairs and face to face as well as in individual head depictions. Considered the “king of animals” since time immemorial the lion stands as apanage of strength and nobility. The Asian lion, known in Sanskrit as simba, was adopted in Buddhist art as protective figure of Dharma (cosmic law and order). In Hinduism it is connected to both Gods and Goddesses, lending its sacred shape to Narasimha, the incarnation of Vishnu’s avatar[9].

Equally present are the inlaid depictions of the coiled Jatāyuh vulture, literally the “strong wind”. It is Rāma’s “devoted bird” and demigod in Hindu mythology. King of vultures in the renowned Indian epic Rāmāyana.

Like the lion its main role is to keep evil at bay.

Originating from the meeting between East and West, this rare Indo-Portuguese cabinet, rich in light and shadows contrasts, of European inspired structured clearly propagated by the Portuguese – joins the Goan phytomorphic marquetry decoration to the apotropaic Indian iconography and to the Jesuit insignia of a possible customer.

For its quality and conservation it represents in perfection an artistic archetype of this 17th century typology.

TERESA PERALTA

[1] Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods from India – The Art of The Indian Cabinet-Maker, London, V&A Publications, 2002, p. 57.

[2] https://www.girlmuseum.org/mythological-girls-nagini-manasa/

[3] Viagem de Francisco Pyrard de Laval, (1611), edição de J. H. da Cunha Rivara & A. de Magalhães Basto, Porto, 1944, vol. II, p. 185.

[4] Pedro Dias, Mobiliário Indo-Português, IMAGINALIS, 2013, p. 271.

[5] Francisco E. Oliveira Martins, Mobiliário Açoriano; elementos para o seu estudo, cit. p. 74.

[6] Pedro Dias, Mobiliário Indo-Portugues, (...), pp. 71-82 e 276 – 285.

[7] Diogo do Couto “Soldado Prático”, ed. Ana Maria Garcia Martín, Coimbra, Angelus-Novus – Centro de Literatura Portuguesa, 2009; Apud IDEM, pp. 112-114.

[8] IDEM, Ibidem.

[9] Hugo Miguel Crespo, A Índia em Portugal – Um Tempo de Confluências Artísticas (Cat.), Edição Bluebook, 2021, p. 116.