Eagle Finials Spanish Colonial Bench 18th Century

Eagle Finials Spanish Colonial Bench 18th Century

Anonymous Artisan

Country Antiques

Ht. 54.75″ x W. 74″ x D. 24″

When the Spanish flooded “New Spain” in the 16^th to 18^th centuries, they brought the apprenticeship system with them. Spanish artisans taught their skills in carpentry, ceramics, weaving, leather, and other crafts to indigenous craftspeople. They had to rely on handmade tools and hand forged hardware. Many beautiful items remain from those centuries, now labeled Spanish Colonial antiques because they date from the Spanish Colonial period. They were used by the Spanish in their elegant mansions, churches, and huge haciendas. (New Spain was not actually a colony; it was a viceroyalty, but the name “colonial” sticks to refer to that period.)