A NORTH ITALIAN EBONY, FRUITWOOD AND MARQUETRY BUREAU CABINET

FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY, PROBABLY GENOESE

Details

A NORTH ITALIAN EBONY, FRUITWOOD AND MARQUETRY BUREAU CABINET
First half 18th Century, probably Genoese
The ogival cornice surmounted by a later pierced giltwood cesting of foliate C-scrolls and flowers, centred by a scrolling lozenge with inscribed ellipse, above two glazed arched doors with strapwork borders enclosing a fitted interior and above two candle-slides, the lower section with a sloping fall-front inlaid with three simulated strapwork panels enclosing a walnut interior with five variously-sized drawers and ten pigeon-holes above a slide and well, the frieze with two short drawers two lopers and three further simulated drawers above the recessed kneehole with strapwork door below a shaped apron, flanked by three drawers with raised panels, on later dished bun feet, the interior of the top reconstructed, variously inscribed with the dates '5-6-983' and '5-6 82'
117 in. (297 cm.) high; 62 in. (158 cm.) wide; 22¼ in. (56.5 cm.) deep

Provenance

Anonymous sale in these Rooms, 2 May 1997, lot 38 (£ 46,600).

Lot Essay

This bureau cabinet was conceived after an English prototype, whose general design spread across Europe through prints and furniture which was exported from England. Genoa, with its strong trading links to foreign countries, including England, produced furniture which is surprisingly close to such English prototypes.

The decorative scheme of banding is closely related to that on a Genoese bureau cabinet in the Sinatra Collection in Camogli, illustrated in L. C. Caimi, L'Ebanisteria Genovese del Settecento, Parma, 1995, fig. 8.

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