An Italian burl fruitwood, ebonised, and marquetry centre table

BY A. GARGIULO, SORRENTO, CIRCA 1890

Details

An Italian burl fruitwood, ebonised, and marquetry centre table
By A. Gargiulo, Sorrento, Circa 1890
The dodecagonal top with a central reserve of a man serenading a woman, signed A Gargiulo/Sorrento/Villa Gargiulo, framed with a band of griffins and butterflies within scrolling foliage, between two bands of straw marquetry, the outer edge with ebonised moulding above a wavy apron, the pedestal support inlaid with trailing foliage and mythical beasts, on a tripartite base with pad feet
31 5/8 in. (80.3 cm.) high; 37 3/8 in. (95 cm.) diameter

Lot Essay

Throughout the nineteenth century, there existed many workshops in the Sorrento and Mantua regions specialising in the centuries old tradition of inlaying fine wood and straw marquetry. Besides what amounted to a large-scale industry supplying trinkets to both tourists and an active export market, these workshops operated a smaller, yet equally important sideline producing individual pieces of furniture, many of them of exhibition quality. Established in 1863, the workshop of A. Gargiulo is still in operation in Sorrento today, providing fine inlaid products for the tourist industry.

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