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拍品专文
A native of Bastia, Assisi, Federico Lancetti (d. 1892) studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Perugia, before moving to Rome, where he apprenticed for four years with the German furniture-maker Luigi Frantz. Returning to Perugia, Lancetti established his own workshop and soon, with it, a reputation for producing inlaid furniture of the finest quality. The inspiration for much of Lancetti's earlier oeuvre derives from the work of the Dutch artist, Leonardo Van der Vinne (d. 1713). The latter settled in Florence in 1659 and was employed in the Grand Ducal workshops from 1664, becoming chief ebenista in 1667. Best known for its floral designs in intricate ivory marquetry, Van der Vinne's work was experiencing a popular revival in the mid-19th century. As the label pasted on the interior of the present cabinet testifies, Lancetti's work brought him no less than seventeen medals from International Exhibitions such as those held in Perugia (1855), Florence (1851), London (1862), Dublin (1865), Paris (1867) and Vienna (1873). In correspondence regarding the participants and their merits in the latter, the Italian critic Count Demetrio Carlo Finocchietti commented of Lancetti, "...a few of the members of the Jury, who shared with me the honour of having been on the London and Paris committees, are already familiar with his work. The majority of my colleagues, however, are new to it and, thus, are greatly impressed by its elegance, fine taste and exquisite workmanship. Like Van der Vinne, Lancetti also benefited from royal patronage and a number of his pieces were bought by Vittorio Emmanuele II, by whom he was appointed a Royal ebenista. The most important of these was a magnificent circular centre-table, subsequently exhibited in the Universal Exhibition in London in 1862 and now in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.
With its intricate inlay of ivory, pewter, copper, abalone, mother-of-pearl and various woods, the present cabinet, dated 1870, is a fine example of the antique pergamen lumeggiate technique, which Lancetti did much to revive and improve in the mid-19th century. The cabinet was purchased by the present owner's father-in-law, circa 1955, from a Vancouver antiques dealer who claimed it had come from the collection of the Duchess of Sutherland. Research has not succeeded in confirming this provenance, however the presence of the ducal coronet on the cresting, and the fact that Millicent Fanny, 4th Duchess of Sutherland, died in 1955, lend credence to this theory and it is therefore possible that the piece was commissioned from Lancetti by the 3rd Duke, or a member of his family.
Another table-cabinet by Lancetti, of similar form, but less intricately inlaid and dedicated to Pope Leo XIII, was sold in these rooms, November 5, 1992, lot 304.
With its intricate inlay of ivory, pewter, copper, abalone, mother-of-pearl and various woods, the present cabinet, dated 1870, is a fine example of the antique pergamen lumeggiate technique, which Lancetti did much to revive and improve in the mid-19th century. The cabinet was purchased by the present owner's father-in-law, circa 1955, from a Vancouver antiques dealer who claimed it had come from the collection of the Duchess of Sutherland. Research has not succeeded in confirming this provenance, however the presence of the ducal coronet on the cresting, and the fact that Millicent Fanny, 4th Duchess of Sutherland, died in 1955, lend credence to this theory and it is therefore possible that the piece was commissioned from Lancetti by the 3rd Duke, or a member of his family.
Another table-cabinet by Lancetti, of similar form, but less intricately inlaid and dedicated to Pope Leo XIII, was sold in these rooms, November 5, 1992, lot 304.