FLORENCE, MID-17TH CENTURY

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, whilst a virtually identical example was sold Christie’s, London, 5 July 2013 lot 106 (£73,875 with premium).