AN ALHAMBRA-STYLE CAST-IRON SAFE WALL CABINET WITH A SECRET LOCK
Germany, late 19th century, after Rafael Contreras' architectural gesso panels

Of rectangular shape, standing on four small compressed-globular shaped feet, a likely later addition, with two central doors decorated with three narrow columns and two round arches with lobed friezes possibly inspired by the Mudejar arches in the patio of the Palace of the Generalife, part of the Andalusian Alhambra Palace complex, adorned with several bands of intricate knotwork, fretwork, geometric motifs and stylised arabesques, the arches filled with openwork gilt plaques against a red fabric ground, showcasing repeating geometric stellar motifs typical of Andalusian architecture, the doors opening to reveal two inner shelves, the bottom with a narrow rectangular drawer with gilt knobs and moulded scrolling split palmette sprays, further knotwork to the bases surmounted by the columns, the central base with a narrow gold-painted decorative band with a hinged cover, hiding the secret lock to both doors and the drawer, stamped with a registration number on the back of the tympanum, 2614, 54cm x 35cm x 17.5cm.

A similar one was sold by Solomon Treasure Art Gallery in New York and it was attributed to Rafael Contreras. However, these cast-iron cabinets were mostly produced in 19th-century Germany for a variety of purposes, from humidors to safes, from stationary to storage cabinets. Thus, the attribution to Contreras, indicating that the origin of the cabinet could have been Spain, seems misleading. What is instead very plausible is that the gesso panels of the Alhambra and other Andalusian architectural complexes that Contreras and his team of adornistas produced, were widely circulating across the whole of Europe, providing a constant source of inspiration to cabinetmakers, metalworkers, carpenters and last but not least, painters.