THE TABLE TOP EARLY 18TH CENTURY,

Depicting both genre scenes within frames of richly scrolling strapwork, as well as naturalistic floral marquetry, this table top represents a fusion of the Huguenot style of marquetry prevalent in the Netherlands around 1700-20 with Italian 'intarsia' work. This legacy is in large part due to the influence of the Flemish born 'intarsiatore' Leonard van der Vinne, who was active in the Grand Ducal workshops in Florence from 1659 until his death in 1713. Van der Vinne, who often signed his works 'Leonardo Leonardi fiammingo', was perhaps the most celebrated inlayer in the Grand Ducal workshops, and was given the name 'Tarsia' because of his proficiency in this field.

Executed around 1720-30, the use of olivewood, bone and palissander on this table top, as well as the pine of the carcase, all point to an Italian origin. The distinctive wide strapwork borders, moreover, can also be seen on a group of furniture executed in Turin, which are attributed to the Turinese cabinet-maker Luigi Prinotto (active circa 1712-circa 1777), illustrated in G. Ferraris, Pietro Piffetti e gli Ebanisti del Piemonte, Turin, 1985, pp. 168-71. This group of bureaux is linked to Prinotto through a related bureau in the Royal Hunting Lodge, the Palazzina di Stupinigi, op. cit., pp. 165-7, cat. 8. Interestingly, the designs for the genre scenes of the latter are attributed to the painter Pietro Domenico Olivero (1680-1755), who was godfather to two of Prinotto's children.