Portugal, third quarter of the 18th century

Pau-santo and rosewood with inlays of rosewood, satinwood and ivory

Fittings in chiselled silver

Inv. 302

A highly elegant piece, this is regarded as one of the most remarkable pieces of Portuguese furniture thanks to its creative design, the balance of its curved lines and the skilled woodwork in an assured but not excessive Rococo style, emphasising the qualities of the pau-santo. The different table tops sit on three fixed legs and one moveable leg, with a hinged section that, when folded, stacks all tops on top of each other, turning the piece into a console table. The most elaborate top is the one intended for ‘board’ games (draughts, chess and backgammon), with a chequerboard of wood and ivory in the centre, framed by inlaid compositions also in ivory with sgraffito decoration. Two further table tops can be identified: one for card games and the other, simpler, with decoration compartmentalised in fillets of hawthorn, intended for use as a tea table. This last surface conceals a dressing table with an ornately framed rosewood mirror and three small drawers on each side, with ivory handles. The external drawers echo the undulating shape of the table tops and have silver pulls, a mark of the exquisite quality of this piece of furniture.