Res Mobilis

Decorative woodcut paper as an ornamental covering on 16th-century furniture in Spain: two boxes from the Frederic Marès Museum

Fernando R. Bartolomé García — 2026-06-01

In this paper we propose to address, albeit in an initial manner, the study of decorative woodcut paper used as ornamental coverings in 16th-century Spanish furniture. Our main aim is to highlight the existence of this phenomenon and to encourage research into it, exploring paper as a covering material in furniture of the period. However, we are faced with considerable difficulties, arising from the very nature of paper and its conservation problems. As a result, it is extremely rare to find 16th-century furniture that retains its original covering, which significantly complicates the full analysis of this practice.

Textiles in the women’s estrados of 17th-century Spain

Ismael Amaro Martos — 2026-06-01

The estrado was an area reserved for women, which experienced one of its most notable periods in 17th-century Spanish homes. This space could be located in up to three rooms of the house, which meant that the textile decoration became very significant. The base of the estrado was a carpet, backed by a tapestry or hanging, and the space created was filled with cushions, pillows, mattresses, chairs and tables, among other items, all upholstered or covered with rich fabrics. This work addresses the use and arrangement of these textiles, their stylistic characteristics, as well as those of the furniture they cover; the manufacturers or workshops that made them, and the trimmings with which they were completed.

Baroque props and furnishings at the service of religious images in the Canary Islands: the Rosary chest and the pedestal of the Virgin of El Pino (18th century)

Gustavo Alejo Trujillo Yánez — 2026-06-01

The subject of interest in this work are two pieces that are unpublished, or at least unknown to Canarian historiography, from the parish or Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino, in the town of Teror (Gran Canaria). Both pieces of furniture formed part of the trousseau of the two Marian dedications, and are linked to a genuinely Baroque sculptural practice or typology, namely the clothed or overdressed image. Specifically, they are a box or chest, intended for the safekeeping of the goods of the brotherhood of the Virgen del Rosario, and a pedestal for overdressing the titular image of the church, both dating from the 18th century. The study of these items was made possible as a result of their fortuitous discovery on the occasion of the recent opening of the Basilica's museum of sacred art in 2021. The study ends with an overall assessment of both objects in relation to the rest of the island's pieces published in specialised publications on the archipelago.

The oldest known Iberian square piano. An exceptional piece of furniture, organology, and anthropology at the National Music Museum of Portugal. Restoration, recovery, conservation, and exhibition

Víctor Javier Martínez López — 2026-06-01

His article aims to shed light on the oldest Spanish-made table piano known in the Iberian Peninsula, built by craftsman Juan del Mármol in Seville in 1781, now treasured in the permanent collection of the National Music Museum of Portugal at its new headquarters, the Mafra Palace. This is a remarkable piece of incalculable value, part of the furniture of a specific era, key to organology in understanding the evolution of the piano in our geography, and a reference point in Spanish and Portuguese musicology.

Study and Conservation-Restoration Intervention of an Italian Manicord (18th–20th Centuries) from the National Museum of Music

Francisca Fernandes Machado — 2026-06-01

This article presents the in-depth study and conservation-restoration intervention of the manicord attributed to Alfredo Keil, currently preserved at the Palácio Nacional de Mafra. The work is framed within the context of conservation and restoration research applied to historical musical instruments, combining scientific analysis methodologies with a historical-artistic approach. The object, whose provenance is linked to nineteenth-century collecting and the forgeries of Leopoldo Franciolini, emerges as a paradigmatic example of the complex relationships between authenticity, romantic taste, and museological practices. The conservation state, technical examinations, and intervention choices are described, as well as the implications of restoration for the patrimonial and museological valorization of the piece

Claudio Pellandini. Pioneer in the production of artistic stained glass in Mexico (1872-1927)

Martha Eugenia Alfaro Cuevas — 2026-06-01

Claudio Pellandini, of Swiss origin, established his first commercial establishment in Mexico City in 1839. His business focused on the sale of frames, mirror glass, and artistic prints, wallpaper, painter's supplies, gilding, molding, and colors. In July 1899, Claudio Pellandini opened his factory, located on the second street of Comonfort in Mexico City.

The prestige achieved by Casa Pellandini was primarily due to its work in stained glass. It installed numerous stained-glass windows in the country's major public and private buildings. The little known about its production focuses on its stained-glass production, and its large-scale industrial production in the field of glass and crystal is virtually unknown.

Because these ornamental works, used in everyday use, were rarely signed, and because of the fragile nature of their materials, very little of their production survives to this day. Furthermore, the industry's archives have not survived, so the main source for reconstructing its history is the illustrated press of Mexico.

This article aims to reconstruct its production and provide a first approximation of a work record.

Furnishing and decoration of the Government Palace on the island of Santo Domingo in 1862

Mª Mercedes Fernández Martín — 2026-06-01

After the proclamation of the Dominican Republic in 1844, the Dominicans attempted to rejoin Spain on several occasions, but all attempts were unsuccessful. In 1861, their president, General Santana, resigned and solemnly proclaimed the reincorporation into the Spanish crown. With the imminent arrival of the new leader, Lieutenant General José Felipe Rivero Lemoyne, it was necessary to prepare and decorate the residence he was to occupy. For this reason, a large quantity of furniture was purchased through consignees on the islands of Saint Thomas and Cuba.

Joanna Brandt: a Danish woman in Rio de Janeiro in the first half of the 20th century and the professionalization of the decorative arts

Marize Malta — 2026-06-01

The article highlights the work of the Danish artist Joanna Brandt in Rio de Janeiro between 1900’s and 1930’s, possibly as the first professional artist-decorator in Brazil's capital at the time, seeking to evaluate her strategies, analyze her work, and discuss the role of women in the applied arts and, even though considered minor arts, their contribution to the construction of possible modernities. The research mainly used newspapers and magazines from the period from the Brazilian National Library, since no preserved works by Brandt were found in public collections, but which attest to her versatility and professionalism in the decorative arts.

Architecture in Motion

María Villanueva Fernández — 2026-06-01

The First World War spurred technological advancements that significantly transformed the transport sector. In the postwar period, the festive spirit of the "Roaring Twenties" and the rise of leisure, along with the development of minimalist housing, shaped the interiors of airplanes, ships, and trains. Architects and decorators often designed mobile architectures, whose evolution was documented by architectural magazines. These publications showcased everything from luxurious Art Déco furniture for the elite to innovative solutions for third-class cabins.

This article, through the study of Spanish architectural magazines from the 1920s and 1930s, aims to shed light on this chapter of interior and furniture design. It highlights the work of European architects involved in outfitting transport and demonstrates how furniture became a cultural symbol of progress during that era.

Darro. Furniture from the Sixties, Sixty Years Later

Pedro Feduchi Canosa — 2026-06-01

Darro was one of the most important companies in the emerging modern furniture market and an art gallery, founded in Madrid in 1959 by Francisco Muñoz y Fernando Alonso-Martínez. This historical study, which focuses on semiotic analysis and its relevance during the Franco era, presents the characteristics of Darro as a furniture producer and an overview of the furniture created by its founders, as well as by architect Carlos Picardo, its technical director. It also shows another furniture linked to Darro designed by relevant architects and artists such as Miguel Fisac, Javier Carvajal, José Luis Picardo, Fernando Ramón Moliner and Equipo 57. The excellent work carried out by its founders made Darro an essential reference point for the arrival of industrial design in Spain and a revulsive force in the nascent Spanish modernity of the 1950s and 1960s.

The evolution of school furniture based on the Federico Giner Company archive

Manuel Martínez Torán — 2026-06-01

This paper examines the evolution of school furniture in Spain through the historical archive of the century-old company Federico Giner, specialized in the manufacture of educational furniture since 1910. The study of the archival materials—catalogues, technical sheets, advertising brochures, photographs, commercial resources, and prototypes—makes it possible to trace a trajectory that links pedagogical, industrial, and regulatory transformations with changes in classroom design throughout the twentieth century. The Federico Giner archive emerges as a unique testimony within the framework of Spanish industrial heritage, documenting the transition from artisanal production to mechanization, as well as the influence of international trends in ergonomics and pedagogy. The article also emphasizes the need to systematize and digitize these collections to ensure their preservation, dissemination, and research potential. By comparing this case with international experiences of design archives, the study proposes a framework for the patrimonial and academic valorization of school furniture as a key component of material culture.

Furniture in Revista Nacional de Arquitectura and Arquitectura in the 1950s and 1960s: Carlos de Miguel’s Modern Vision

María de Arana Aroca — 2026-06-01

This article argues that the journal Arquitectura (formerly the Revista Nacional de Arquitectura), founded in 1918 and marked during its early decades by a historicist and conservative orientation, underwent a decisive transformation beginning in 1948, when the architect Carlos de Miguel assumed its directorship. During the twenty‑five years of his tenure as editor, the journal increasingly focused on industrial design, and particularly on modern furniture design in the 1950s and 1960s, a particularly significant shift for a publication produced by and for architects.

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of De Miguel’s work, the editorial evolution of the journal, and the political, economic, and cultural context shows that the broader environment facilitated this opening. Nevertheless, the principal driving force behind the change was De Miguel himself, whose advocacy and promotion of both architecture and design, together with his disseminating efforts through exhibitions, publications, conferences, and critical sessions, fostered a sustained pursuit of modernity.

The Transition to Modernity in Spanish Furniture during the 1950s

Juan Bravo Bravo — 2026-06-01

The transition process from craftsmanship to modern design in Spanish furniture manufacturing is reviewed. Although specific earlier contributions can be identified, the history of Spanish design begins—strictly speaking—after the Civil War, linked to the process of economic growth and industrialisation. Parallels are detected and affinities are identified between the Spanish case and that of other neighbouring countries.

Along these lines, the promotion and protection of artisanal production during the autarky is assimilated with certain outdates debates between craftsmanship and industry that occurred in professional sectors in other geographies. During the 1950s, the country's alignment with the Western bloc contributed to its progressive international acceptance, a shift in economic direction, and a rural exodus that led to substandard housing. Professional debates centre on the search for viable solutions to this problem of housing and its furnishings. Through the guidance of certain professionals, it is in these circles that both modern Spanish architecture and furniture are conceived, assuming a role parallel to the European masters of the interwar period. This process constitutes the central axis of reflection in this text.

Cole Steel in Asturias (1966–1975). Industrialization and modernization of office furniture in Spain

Ana Maria Fernández García — 2026-06-01

This paper presents a previously unpublished case study: the arrival of the American company Cole Steel in Asturias, one of the pioneering firms in metal furniture worldwide. It will also address the situation of other companies in the region, such as Jorma S.A., also dedicated to the same sector. Through the study of this company, the changes in office work will be defined, along with the situation of this type of entrepreneurial initiative in the Asturian context and the evolution of the design of its products—from the use of models with American patents to those designed in Spain specifically for the firm through the Sintex series, created by the Asturian José Antonio Menéndez Hevia. In this regard, this research has made it possible to establish a more precise chronology of the series by examining the context of the factory and the company installation in Asturias.