PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY

細節

A PAIR OF ITALIAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED SPECIMEN MARBLE TABLE TOPS
PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY
Each of square form, including verde antico, nero, rosso, giallo and giallo Antico, brocatella di Spagna, alabastro, nero antico and various types of breccia, among other marbles, the central flowerhead motif surrounded by a radiating surround, within a lozenge-shaped flowerhead-filled border, the slate border panels with meandring foliate scrolls with red ground geometric motifs to the angles, the borders mounted with ormolu mouldings
26 in. (66 cm.) square (2)

注意事項

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拍品專文

The particular scalopped shape of the scrolled entwined leaves to the framing panels and to the corner of the central medallion is reminiscent of the work carried out in the Grand Ducal workshops in Florence. Interestingly, this top combines Roman fashion for pietra dura tops with their sample collections of marbles arranged into a geometrical pattern, and Florentine typology with its scrolled foliate borders. Naples also had a long tradition of pietre dure, influ enced by both Roman and Florentine examples and very accomplished work was produced at the manufactory created by Carlos VII of Bourbon (1716-1788), King of Naples and Sicily. The extensive church-building programme carried out during the Counter-Reformation in Naples attracted a large number of marble-workers. Small marble table tops of similar size were created in large number for churches. These were often presented on a marble baluster-shaped support such as one in S. Teresa degli Studi, illustrated in A.M. Giusti, Pietre Dure , London, 1992, p. 225, fig. 82. The present pair here offered is identical to one sold at Christie's, London, 11 December 2003, lot 139. That top, however, had a different colour scheme, and did not have the gilt-metal moulded border to the sides.