SPANISH COLONIAL, PERUVIAN, 17th/18th Century

Silver and Transition Period Textile Casket

7 ⅞ x 11 x 7 inches (20 x 28 x 18 cm)

Provenance:

Private collection, Paraguay, for at least the last 80 years.

Silver was the material of choice for both ecclesiastical and domestic vessels in the New World, not only for its status as a precious metal, but also because of its abundance and durability. Silver caskets were common in Peru—a clear indication of their popularity and desirability—but caskets including textile elements are of extreme rarity. Andean Colonial textiles of the 17th and 18th centuries are generally called Transitional style, as they combine indigenous techniques and imagery with those brought to the New World. Here, the double-headed eagle surmounted with a crown (a Spanish imperial symbol) on the lid is seen alongside diminutive birds and geometric motifs along the sides of the casket, which relate to pre-conquest indigenous textile designs.