Chest of drawers

This Syrian chest of drawers is an example of the mutual influences that East and West exert on each other. Its decoration and materials are part of the long tradition in Syrian craftsmanship of building wood furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory. Here, the plant motifs stand out against a background of geometric shapes. The bright iridescence of the ivory and mother-of-pearl provide a contrast with the gentle matte of the wood. And yet a chest of drawers is not a traditional piece of furniture in the Near East, where clothes and other domestic objects were typically stored in linen chests. Its curved form is more inspired by European secretaires. In fact, the drawers only open when the side hinges are moved. In other words, this chest of drawers was undoubtedly designed for Europe, where a tasted for the Orient was all the rage in the 19th century. As a result, a large quantity of pieces of furniture, goldsmithing and ceramics were created in the Ottoman Empire, especially to satisfy the Western market’s demand for luxury goods.