Summer has certainly arrived here in New York, and everything is a little lighter and brighter. Seasonal changeover in interior decoration is no exception as seen in this set of ten chairs (8 side and 2 armchairs), constructed in Northern Italy at the dawn of the 18th century.
The chairs are most remarkable for retaining their detachable “summer” covers, beautifully embroidered in vibrantly colored wool on Bandera fabric. Bandera, widely used in the Piedmont region of Italy, particularly at the 18th century courts, was produced in white and neutral shades and was employed in upholstery for its strength and durability. The covers would be changed seasonally to “winter” covers, of different material and design. Read more... (254 words, 4 images, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)
We love zoomorphism and today we’re bringing you another piece that comprises several animalier elements, including one of our favorites- the serpent! This interesting carved walnut and faux bronze circular center table, circa 1820, is an example of Italian design in the early 19th century, which had been greatly influenced by French taste after the Napoleonic wars carried the Empire style across the continent. The base is comprised of four zoomorphic legs headed with lion masks and terminating in hairy paw feet. The legs are joined together by an x-shaped stretcher in the form of four serpents. The serpent heads meet in the center to support a sphere, while their tails appear to pierce each leg from the inside and continue on the outside. Figure 1 and 2 are related circular tables from southern Italy, also made in the first quarter of the 19h century, with zoomorphic legs that are connected by serpents. Read more... (229 words, 1 image, estimated 55 secs reading time)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Giuseppe Maggiolini (1738-1814) is one of the most renowned Italian cabinetmakers of the 18th and early 19th century. Particularly famed 
is his work in marquetry, on commodes, chests, writing desks and tables. Neoclassical in design, his pieces employ a variety of richly-colored woods, geometric shapes, and intricate patterns. Read more... (538 words, 6 images, estimated 2:09 mins reading time)
This chair, one of a set of four neoclassical chairs in our collection, is derived from the klismos chair, a Greek invention that evolved from a simple throne. Splayed, sabre-form legs and uprights connected by a concave backrest are characteristics of these chairs, which became popular in the late-18th and 19th centuries for their gracefulness and lightness of form, as well as their reference to antiquity. The present chairs are illustrative of the variations on the klismos form that occurred at the end of 18th century during the Neoclassical period in Italy, when furniture was relieved of ornament in favor of simple lines more closely modeled on its classical forbears.
Read more... (297 words, 3 images, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)
We’ve just had an interesting new find! A pair of 17th century painted plaster pedestals in our collection are nearly identical to stucco versions formerly in the Villa di Vignamaggio.
17th century Italian pedestal brackets, Carlton Hobbs LLC.
Vignamaggio pedestals. (Photo: Pratesi, Scultura Fiorentina, Vol III, 1993. Pl. 428, 429.)
Vignamaggio is a Tuscan villa dating to the 14th century and was owned by the Gherardini family. It has been rumored that the grounds of the villa inspired the landscape for Leonardo da Vinci’s La Gioconda (the Mona Lisa), and that Anton Maria Gherardini’s daughter, Mona Lisa, served as the model. Read more... (246 words, 2 images, estimated 59 secs reading time)
