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Lot Essay
These superbly carved tripod jardiniere stands typify the distinctive interpretation of neo-classicism practiced by the Turinese scultori who supplied menuiseries and boiseries to the various Royal residences of Savoy in and around Turin from the 1770's to the 1830's, most famous among whom were Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo and Francesco Bolgié.
Interestingly, in Giancarlo Ferraris's exhaustive survey of the oeuvre of these scultori (Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo e la Scultura Decorativa in Legno a Torino nel Periodo Neoclassico, Cavallermaggiore, 1991), no mention is made of any jardinieres having been supplied in this period. However, of two tripodi documented as supplied by Bonzanigo as tripod-stands to support carved sculptures, for the boudoir of the Duca d'Aosta in the Palazzo Reale, one has now been converted to a jardiniere. A further oval table by Bolgié, supplied to the Gabinetto di toeletta of Madama Felicita in the Palazzo Reale, has also been similarly converted (see Ferraris op. cit.,pp. 73 and 103).
Although there is no definite structural evidence, it is tempting to conclude that the jardinieres offered here may originally have been tripod stands. It is worth noting an intriguing entry in a bill of Francesco Bolgié for 16 November 1823 for 'quattro tripodi' for use in the King's apartments, whose whereabouts are now unknown.
Interestingly, in Giancarlo Ferraris's exhaustive survey of the oeuvre of these scultori (Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo e la Scultura Decorativa in Legno a Torino nel Periodo Neoclassico, Cavallermaggiore, 1991), no mention is made of any jardinieres having been supplied in this period. However, of two tripodi documented as supplied by Bonzanigo as tripod-stands to support carved sculptures, for the boudoir of the Duca d'Aosta in the Palazzo Reale, one has now been converted to a jardiniere. A further oval table by Bolgié, supplied to the Gabinetto di toeletta of Madama Felicita in the Palazzo Reale, has also been similarly converted (see Ferraris op. cit.,pp. 73 and 103).
Although there is no definite structural evidence, it is tempting to conclude that the jardinieres offered here may originally have been tripod stands. It is worth noting an intriguing entry in a bill of Francesco Bolgié for 16 November 1823 for 'quattro tripodi' for use in the King's apartments, whose whereabouts are now unknown.