WRITING CABINET WITH DROP-DOWN FRONT, Peru, 17th century
Width 74cm
Depth 41 cm
Depth when open 52 cm
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Provenance
Private collection
The piece we have before us here is a wooden writing cabinet or secretaire with a drop-down front panel. The latter is secured towards the top of the middle, where there is a lock fitting. With the front panel down, we can see a structure made up of little drawers or compartments arranged on two horizontal levels, to the left and right, on either side of a central recess. The lower section of the piece, which really sets it apart within this genre of writing cabinets with drop-down fronts, comprises a series of drawers arranged on three vertical levels: two smaller drawers on the first and third levels, and one drawer, twice the size of the others, on the central level. Another striking feature, underscoring the uniquely creative nature of this piece, are the two curvilinear side wings from which the supports for the fold-down panel slide out.
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