PROBABLY GRANADA, SPAIN, 1500-75

Taracea, the Nasrid technique of micromosaic inlay continued in popularity until the end of the 16th century. Pieces decorated in this way were often made in Granada, although instead of assembling the mosaic from the tiny elements as had been the norm, a less labour-intensive method was used whereby rods of different shapes, colours and materials were stuck together and small tiles sawn off the end. These were generally attached to cloth, paper or leather which stabilized them before they were stuck to the wooden surface (Rosser-Owen, 2010, p.87). A notable feature of 16th century taracea is the increased use of silver as a result of a new abundance of the material imported from Spain’s colonies in the New World. It was commonly used in groups of three tiny triangles, filling the dark spaces in the angles of the design, as is clearly seen on our cabinet. The decorative repeating star design that is seen on our cabinet was particularly popular in this period, and is seen also on a very similarly decorated casket in the V&A (inv.530-1903; published Rosser-Owen, 2010, no.80, p.89).