A COMMEMORATIVE GOLD-DAMASCENED TOLEDO STEEL LIDDED BOX WITH THE CHRISTIAN IHS MONOGRAM
Plácido Zuloaga's style, possibly Eibar, Basque Country, Spain, dated 1904

A COMMEMORATIVE GOLD-DAMASCENED TOLEDO STEEL LIDDED BOX WITH THE CHRISTIAN IHS MONOGRAM
Plácido Zuloaga's style, possibly Eibar, Basque Country, Spain, dated 1904

Of cylindrical shape, resting on three compressed bulbous feet, surmounted by a circular, convex, hinged lid with a central medallion inlaid with the Christogram IHS (the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus), with a Latin cross at the top and three nails at the bottom, alluding to the Passion of Christ, all typical and recurrent symbols in Western Christianity worship, the edges of the lid and the main body of the box profusely decorated with gold-damascened motifs recurrent in Toledo steel wares, including interlocking and repeating geometric shapes in the forms of six-pointed and eight-pointed star motifs (khatim-suleyman), scrolling vegetal volutes, arabesque designs, and pseudo-Arabic calligraphic cartouches, a large cusped cartouche at the front of the box in-filled with an inscription in Spanish reading R. P. ...(?) Echeverria Juan Zaragozano Leva 1904 (Echeverria being a recurrent surname in the Basque region and leva the mandatory military levy), the gilt interior plain, 8.5cm diam. and 4.5cm high.