AN ITALIAN PARCEL-GILT SCAGLIOLA, EBONY AND EBONISED CABINET-ON-STAND
THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
AN ITALIAN PARCEL-GILT SCAGLIOLA, EBONY AND EBONISED CABINET-ON-STAND

FLORENCE, MID-17TH CENTURY, THE STAND LATER

Details
AN ITALIAN PARCEL-GILT SCAGLIOLA, EBONY AND EBONISED CABINET-ON-STAND
FLORENCE, MID-17TH CENTURY, THE STAND LATER
Decorated overall with architectural perspectives, the shaped rectangular top fronted by a pair of frieze drawers, above a pair of cupboard doors enclosing an architectural interior with eight variously sized drawers, the central removable mirrored scene enclosing three secret drawers, above a base with two long frieze drawers, the stand with spirally-turned legs joined by a box stretcher on block feet
59¼ in. (151 cm.) high; 25½ in. (65 cm.) wide; 15 in. (38 cm.) deep

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Celia Harvey
Celia Harvey

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Lot Essay

The architectural form of this Florentine table cabinet with scagliola panels imitating marble is that of a Renaissance palace. Intended as a 'Cabinet of Curiosities' or receptacle for precious objects, the portable cabinet replaced the Kunstkammer, a room intended to reflect knowledge and collecting. The virtuosity of 'Florentine work' in the early 17th century was unsurpassed; the process involved a number of highly skilled craftsmen including intagliatori (carvers), commettitori (who fixed the composition onto a ground) and lustratori (polishers). A very similar Florentine table cabinet is illustrated in M. Riccardi-Cubitt, The Art of the Cabinet, London, 1992, p.74.

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