Cedar and fruit wood desk with incised, tinted decoration, inlay and iron fittings. Colonial work. Viceroyalty of Peru, Ecuadorian, possibly Quito. 17th century. 67 x 91 x 46 cm. The desk is magnificently decorated. On the outside of the cabinet, as well as on the inside of the folding door, is profuse decoration of vegetable scrolls in marquetry. The interior is made up of three columns of drawers, five to the right and left, and in the centre, three wide drawers, two at the top and one at the bottom, between which there is a large vertical drawer, which hides in its rear a secret drawer, flanked by two pairs of turned columns that seem fixed, but can be taken out to reveal several hidden drawers. All the drawers are decorated with incised and tinted motifs depicting birds, fantastic animals, plant elements, masks, etc. The central drawer displays a double-headed eagle with a snake. The magnificent work done on the iron fittings is also remarkable, as we can see on the beautiful lock. Two comparable pieces are in the collections of two American museums, a desk at the Denver Museum, (Inventory No. 2019.869) https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/object/2019.869 and another small desk at the Brooklyn Museum ( Stock No. 45.175.5) https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/933 Lastly, there is a similar one that belongs to a private collection in Lima which has been reproduced in the book “Un legado que pervive en Hispanoamérica. El mobiliario del Virreinato del Perú de los siglos XVII y XVIII” (A legacy that survives in Hispano-America. The furniture of the Viceroyalty of Peru from the 17th and 18th centuries) by María Campos Carlés de Peña, page 162. The interior architecture of the desk, drawers, columns and horizontal borders is very similar, as well as the decoration of fantastic animals, but generally the photo in the book shows a less imposing specimen than the one we have here. It is interesting to note that it was common to find furniture like this piece in palatial homes and those of the viceregal bourgeoisie. During the end of the 17th century, the space called the dais room became very important, since guests of a high social level were received there. It was the place where the most luxurious furniture in the house was located, among the most common pieces were desks, bins, sideboards, counters, chests and chairs, along with other objects such as paintings, carpets, etc. This type of furniture gave a clear message about the social prestige of its owners, as indicated by Gustavo Curiel when he found them listed in the inventories of noble families. The key is missing, and the lock needs to be adjusted. Reference bibliography: - Campos Carlés de Peña, M. (2013). Un legado que pervive en Hispanoamérica. El mobiliario del Virreinato del Perú de los siglos XVII y XVIII.. (pp. 153-167). Editions El Viso.