Pair of 17th Century Spanish Baroque Gilt Bronze Mounted Ebonised & Tortoiseshell Cabinets on Stands

Exceptional and rare pair of 17th Century (c.1680) Spanish Baroque gilt bronze and metal mounted ebonised and tortoiseshell cabinets of grand scale with interesting provenance. Provenance:- Purchased by Mr Stuart Fearnley of Rose Green Farm, Lindsey, Suffolk in the late 1930s at a country auction and thence by descent to the current owner. The moulded top above a central door of architectural form with a niche and the standing classical figure of Athena flanked by dual pairs of Tuscan pillars, to the door reverse being segmented walnut and inlaid with ebonised geometric banding, opening to reveal five tortoiseshell and ebonised fronted drawers with gilt stars and ring handles, the bottom drawer concealing a further secret drawer to the rear. The portico being flanked by eight conforming drawers retaining steel locks and gilt escutcheons. The sides of the pieces have segmented walnut and inlaid geometric banding and ebonised mouldings together with iron drop carrying handles and they stand on gilt metal clad claw ebonised ball feet. These cabinets, also known as Barguenos, have been meticulously conserved and are in exceptional condition. It is extremely rare to find a pair of these cabinet as often they are found alone. They sit upon a pair of of bespoke made steel stained designed specifically for these impressive cabinets. The cabinet on stand with all its many variations became fashionable throughout Europe from the early 16 century. The design of these cabinets, with their rich ormolu mounts and tortoiseshell veneers set in an ebony frame, is typical of the work being produced not only in Spain but elsewhere in the Spanish empire at Naples and Antwerp during the 17th Century. This design of cabinet came to favour in Spain in the mid-17th century with the steady flow of fashions and ÈmigrÈ craftsmen from Germany and the low countries, and gradually superseded the earlier and more specifically Spanish form of cabinet on stand the vargueno.