Papel Cabinet

A beautiful cabinet in the Dallas Museum of Art shines beyond many items around it both literally and figuratively. Made of mahogany, mother of pearl, tortoiseshell, and ivory, its highest point is a two-headed bird decorated with ivory diamond shapes. Down below, the feet of the cabinet are made of mahogany carvings, creatures that most resemble a lion. The lions have a golden sheen to them. The cabinet is a large, beautifully constructed piece of furniture and art that has both form and purpose. While the artist of this piece is unknown, the first known owner of this cabinet was Don Melchor Portocarrero, third Count of Monclova, Viceroy of Peru. It was likely built for him for his home. The inside is just as magnificently decorated as the outside, as well as being spacious and full of drawers for functionality. The 17th-century three-dimensional piece stands at eight and a half feet tall, just over seven feet wide, and about two feet deep. The mass of this cabinet takes up a lot of space, even in the large rooms of the DMA.
The two-headed bird at the top has both heads turned opposite to create a completely symmetrical look, as well as the whole of the cabinet itself. One part of the piece is not symmetrical, the coat of arms that sits framed inside the bird, which is likely the coat of arms of the original owner. There are beautiful organic shapes made of mother of pearl, the shapes are random and not geometric, but combined they make an implied floral pattern. Not only is it a gorgeous piece of art it is also a very functional piece of furniture. According to the DMA “when these doors [of the cabin] were opened, the owners could display their holdings of small