Estimate

80.000 - 100.000

Session 1

21 October 2024

Description

In ebony and ebonized wood, featuring an architectural-inspired structure, pietra dura inlays, and gilt bronze mounts. The front of the cabinet presents a symmetrical arrangement with a central niche, flanked by two rows of six drawers richly adorned with pietra dura panels, including various semi-precious stones and different types of marble, such as lapis lazuli, agate, jasper, brocatello rosso, rosso antico, alabaster, cipollino, and porphyry, arranged in geometric patterns. The central niche, also lined with pietra dura panels depicting shell-shaped cartouches, is decorated with architectural elements, including lapis lazuli columns and a portico with a triangular pediment supported by two gilt bronze Atlas figures. The ceiling of the niche is painted in trompe l'oeil, and the base is adorned with parquetry work. The sides of the cabinet, with pietra dura panels, replicate the composition of the central panel, framed by the portico. The top, with a row of five drawers decorated with red porphyry panels, is surmounted by four putti playing musical instruments. The base, with four drawers and a small central drawer, features a carved apron decorated with carved volutes.
The original construction of this cabinet dates back to the 17th century, showing evidence of alterations, possibly during the 19th century, with the addition of decorative elements and structural modifications. The stand, of later construction, with four drawers and volute-shaped front legs, maintains decorative consistency with the cabinet, featuring the same type of panels with pietra dura inlays.
A small drawer at the base of the cabinet has an interior label reading 'Ant.(?) Burg(...)rgasse.Graz,' with a handwritten note in French stating: "Furniture from the imp(?) Palace of Burg(?)... brought here by Archduchess Maria of Bavaria 1571-1616, with all her luxury objects from Munich." Although uncertain, this reference seems to suggest a connection between the cabinet and Maria Anna of Bavaria (1574-1616), daughter of William V, Duke of Bavaria, and wife of Ferdinand II (1578-1637). The piece also bears two other inscriptions: one in black ink at the bottom of the left drawer of the cabinet base — "Stockholm(...) 18/8 - 1947/ H HALKJAER./ Dansk" and "HÖRN 1955-1965/ CORMÉRY"; and another handwritten in pencil in Swedish, at the bottom of the left drawer of the stand — "The cabinet was bought in the 1940s from Consul General Jean Jahnsson, formerly at the Van Der Nootska Palace, when we moved to Östermalmsgatan 21 Stockholm/ A big move when Stensund and Van der Nootska were left./ Eugène CORMERY/ Strangnäs July 1996."
(minor losses and defects)

193x204.5x62 cm

Category

Furniture

Additional Information

Note:
The pietra dura technique has its origins in the Florentine Renaissance, reaching its peak at the end of the 16th century. This technique is characterized by the meticulous use of semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli, jasper, agate, and porphyry, carefully cut and arranged to create intricate decorative patterns.
The development of pietra dura as an art form was strongly promoted by the Medici family in Florence, culminating in the foundation of the Galleria dei Lavori in 1588, which became a center of excellence for the refinement and dissemination of this technique. In the context of the cabinet now presented for auction, the presence of pietra dura panels is a testament to the mastery of this technique, highly valued by the European aristocracy of the 17th and 18th centuries.
This cabinet shares similarities with a distinct group of pieces produced in Rome in the 17th century. Notably, a particularly significant cabinet was sold by Sotheby's in London on 6 July 2011 for £668,450. Other comparable cabinets are part of renowned collections, such as that of the Duke of Hamilton, the Demidoff Cabinet (sold by Sotheby's in 1992), and an impressive example in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The central niche of the cabinet, with lapis lazuli columns and shell-shaped cartouches—likely an addition or later alteration—as well as elements like the central arched panel, its pediment, and the design and decoration of the side drawers, remain faithful to the style of the aforementioned cabinets, making it a monumental example of the extraordinary decorative craftsmanship developed in pietra dura furniture.
Robert de Balkany Collection
Carlucci Gallerie Antiquarie, Rome
Jean Jahnssen Collection, Van der Nootska Palace, Stockholm