Portable desk made using pasto varnish. Colombia. 18th century. Magnificent writing chest. It has an upper lid which, when open, reveals compartments, and another that folds forward to show five drawers. There is profuse decoration all over the interior and on the exterior of the back, with flowers, birds, wild boar etc. 21 x 35 x 28 cm. A comparable example is kept in the collection at "The Hispanic Society of America". Bibliography: "Entre el viejo y el nuevo mundo: el escritorio de barníz de pasto" (Between the old and new world: the pasto varnish desk) by Dña. Rosa Mª Creixell. "Res Mobilis". Vol. 3, nº. 3, 2014.