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Chest

A work made of ponderosa pine, metal, and paint.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of ponderosa pine, metal, and paint.

Date:

1780–1830

Artist:

Attributed to the Valdés family (active 18th–19th centuries)
New Mexico

About this artwork

This hand-carved chest belongs to a visually distinct group of works attributed to the Valdés family of carvers from what is now New Mexico. Chests such as this were the most common piece of furniture found in the region—multipurpose objects that also stood as decorative elements in homes and churches. In addition to the sculptural qualities of the geometric patterning and applied carved balls on this example, traces of red and black pigment reveal that it was once vibrantly painted.

Status

On View, Gallery 161

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Valdés family

Title

Chest

Place

New Mexico (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1780–1830

Medium

Ponderosa pine, metal, and paint

Inscriptions

Incised, mark, right side of chest, center, above brace [asterisk].

Dimensions

82.6 × 95.6 × 52.4 cm (32 1/2 × 37 5/8 × 20 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor in honor of Nelson E. Smyth; purchased with funds provided by Warren L. Batts, Jamee J. and Marshall Field, Mrs. Frank L. Sulzberger, and Wesley M. Dixon Jr.

Reference Number

1986.419

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/109694/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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