Rare Spa marquetry wig box - Late 17th century
Spa, Principality of Liège, Belgium
Natural Spa wood and brass marquetry with floral scrolls and foliage, and mother-of-pearl inlays representing flowers and birds.
H 12,5 cm L 38 cm P 25 cm
This wig box is a very fine example of the productions of the town of Spa in Belgium, known as the ‘jolités’ of Spa.
From the 11th century onwards, Spa became a particularly renowned and popular spa resort, with numerous ferruginous springs. Local craftsmen were quick to use Spa wood, which had a characteristic brown colour because it had been soaked in ferruginous water, to make a number of luxury items sold to spa-goers. From the second half of the 17th century onwards, they produced items such as boxes, chests and toiletries with rich inlays of metal and mother-of-pearl. These highly refined objects also made the town famous, and were particularly popular until the 19th century.
Very few examples have survived.
