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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Excellent supporting reference Ibrahiim. It is interesting to see how these often key decorative themes and motif are transferred and diffused widely in material culture of many diverse cultures and regions.
You say this design was on Portuguese chests, were these of Chinese or Oriental make for trade? or would they have been of Portuguese make using foreign designs?
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Salaams Jim, This is an interesting question ... Portuguese ... or sometimes called Omani-Portuguese chests were used as transport and ships storage boxes for trade items spices etc...and called sugar boxes ...which roughly I can spell in Portuguese "caixas a sugar..." When the Portuguese left Muscat in 1650 it was at something of a rush and many of these huge heavy boxes were left behind and over the centuries diffused into the surrounding areas..They are magnificent chests and decorated very simply except in the case of the chests on chests..or chest of drawers. I will show both as they all sport the lovely little floral shaped metal shapes in question....and on top of the storage boxes another shape much bigger about 2 inches across...iron and often tinned...(which has all but worn off)...One small chest is Portuguese Goan and either a scribes box or Bible Box. I found a couple of old pictures of some of mine from 10/20 years ago...oddly enough the nearest miniature floral metalwork are in brass on a big 9 drawer chest.. and the other similar but slightly different ironwork shows on the fronts of the storage chests chest/storage chest combinations...I show an old Indian door with bigger stud work...and I think the full range of miniature and larger metal stud work was relatively available across the entire subcontinent...though the project belt does seem to be Tibetan.
To answer your question on the Oriental point... These chests were distinctly Portuguese or Portuguese\ Goan...and can be traced via the Portuguese museums and various documentary sources...
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.