A Gold and Silver-Damascened Inlaid Iron Frame
A Gold and Silver-Damascened Inlaid Iron Oval Frame

By Placido Zuloaga, circa 1880

With the artist's incised monogram PZ

11 ¼ in (28.5 cm) high
10 3/8 in (26.3 cm) high

cf. James D. Lavin, The Art and Tradition of the Zuloagas: Spanish Damascene from the Khalili Collection, 1997, p.93 for an illustration of a similar frame

The art of damascening in precious metals on iron is of great antiquity, and was the decoration of choice on arms and armour from prehistory through to modern times. In the West, Spain raised the art to the pinnacle of perfection. The preservation of damascening in Spain was almost entirely due to the genius of a single family, the Zuloagas. Through their efforts, the remote town of Eibar in the mountains of the Basque Country became the centre of European damascening in the 19th century. The impact of the Zuloagas was for a brief period even greater in England than in Spain itself. They produced objects that were received at exhibitions in Europe with great acclaim and praise. Many of the important pieces were commissioned by the great 19th-century collector, Alfred Morrison.