A pair of Spanish premiere partie and contre-partie tortoiseshell, bone, walnut, ebony and ebonised cabinets on stand

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The 'Siege of Granada' cabinets

A pair of Spanish premiere partie and contre-partie tortoiseshell, bone, walnut, ebony and ebonised cabinets on stand

IN THE 17TH CENTURY STYLE, MID-19TH CENTURY

Details

A pair of Spanish premiere partie and contre-partie tortoiseshell, bone, walnut, ebony and ebonised cabinets on stand
In the 17th Century Style, Mid-19th Century
Each of architectural outshape, surmounted by a shaped pediment, centred by the initials F.Y. each surmounted by a royal crown, flanked to each side by a pierced scrolling foliate gallery, above three frieze drawers, the front centred by a cupboard door with columns, headed by the coat-of-arms of King Ferdinando V of Aragon and his wife, Queen Ysabella of Castille, above a plaque inscribed DURING THE SIEGE OF GRANADA AND HAVING THEIR SEAT IN SANTA FE, THE CATHOLIC KINGS, DON FERNANDO AND DONNA YSABEL, AROUND THE YEAR 1491, THE BRAVE QUEEN WITH HER GUARDS AND SOME SOLDIERS, LEFT TO INSPECT THE BUILDINGS OF THE CITY FROM ZUBIA. THE MOORS, HAVING HEARD OF THIS, SIEGED THE CHRISTIANS. THE DEVOUT QUEEN HID BEHIND A LAUREL AND, IN PRAYER, COMMENDED HERSELF TO ST LOUIS KING OF FRANCE WHOSE DAY IT WAS AND PROMISED TO FOUND A CONVENT TO ST. FRANCIS IN THAT PLACE IF THEY LEFT UNSCAPED. THE KING SPOKE TO HER AND PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD ESCAPE AND OREDERED HER TO KEEP HER PROMISE TO FOUND THE CONVENT AFTER THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA. THIS CONVENT STILL EXISTS UNDER THE NAME OF ST LUIS EL REALE DE ZUBIA, the interior fitted with colonades, flanked to each side by four drawers, each with two plaques depicitng part of the siege, on a breakfront stepped plinth, above three frieze drawers, supported by six square baluster tapering legs, joined by a conforming stretcher; one in première partie, the other in contre-partie
94½ in. (240 cm.) high; 67½ in. (171 cm.) wide; 24 in. (61 cm.) deep (2)

Provenance

The Brudenell family, Deene Park, Corby, Northamptonshire.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

In the last quarter of the 15th Century, the Spanish Christians had retaken Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville in relentless succession. Only Granada survived as a Muslim stronghold. Then, in 1482, in a trivial quarrel, the Muslim kingdom split into two hostile factions and, simultaneously, two strong Christian sovereigns, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, married and merged their kingdoms. As a result, The Spaniards laid siege to Granada. After a valiant resistance, Muhammad XI, Sultan of Granada, surrendered, marking the end of Moorish rule in Spain.

These cabinets illustrate this final battle, where upon Spain once again regained its military, religious and political power.

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