Wood with marquetry ornamentation
Puebla
c. 1800
98 x 168 x 52 cm

The decoration and style of this five-and-a-half foot bench shows the influence of art from ancient Greece and Rome on Mexican art at the end of the viceregal period. Benches, introduced in the late 18th century, replaced cushions and low chairs used by women. With room to seat more than one, benches also made courtship rituals easier.

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