North Italian Center Table with Scagliola Top, dated 1721

View Similar Items

Italian Neoclassical Scagliola Top Center Table

Incredible Rare 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Scagliola Center Table

Pair of Italian Neoclassical Scagliola Top Center Tables

Italian Midcentury Art Deco Style Bronze Center Table with Glass Top

Neoclassical 19th Century Italian Scagliola Table Surface

Mid-Century Modern Italian Stainless Steel Dining or Center Table with Glass Top

French Restauration Mahogany Center Table with Variegated Marble Top

Italian Walnut Center Table

Vintage Black Scagliola Table with Four Sculpted Horses at the Base, '900 Italy

"L’universo” Glass Topped Center Table With Brushed Brass Base

Italian Round Table With Glass Top

Italian Egyptian Revival Center Table

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 10

North Italian Center Table with Scagliola Top, dated 1721

About the Item

A North Italian center table or console table with a very large and rare multi-figure Scagliola top possibly manufactured in the workshop of Domenico Guattini / Reggio Emilia. The scagliola top depicts cartouches with Venetian galleys, dated 1721, as well as rich scrollwork with scenes from Hercules' far-ranging adventures. Placed in the center is the figure of Minerva, well-known as the protectoress of Hercules. It is assumed that the cartouches depict Venetian galleys refering to the 150th anniversary of the 'Battle of Lepanto' , a naval engagement taking place on 7 October 1571. A fleet of the Holy League, of which the Venetian Empire and the Spanish Empire were the main powers, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of the Ottoman Empire in the Gulf of Patras, near Lepanto. The victory of the Holy League is of great importance in the history of Europe and of the Ottoman Empire, marking the turning-point of Ottoman military Expansion into the Mediterranean and also marking the last battle fought with galleys, a type of ship used since classical antique times. Both topics come together in the iconography of the scagliola top by the depiction of Hercules' labors: slaying of the Nemean Lion, stealing of the Mares of Diomedes and the stealing of the apples of the Hesperides. Hercules' labors symbolize the strength and victory of the western world over the oriental Expansion but also reminiscensing a victory of western culture that is based on its classical antique heritage. Scagliola was a particularly elaborate type of Stucco Lustro, in which dyed calcium sulphate masses were worked into stone plates previously prepared with bas-reliefs in such a way that many-figured, richly ornamented scenes arose. These plates were mostly religious, as they were usually placed in the altar area of church rooms. The table frame is made of the finest walnut combined with four terracotta legs in lion form, so-called trapezophorons. They refer explicitly to ancient models, such as Pompeijan marble tables with three marble trapezophoron legs. This type of table was used to display vases, fruit bouquets, lamps and alike, at a representative place such as an entrance hall. Comparative literature: Grazianno Manni: I maestri della scagliola in Emilia Romagna e Marche, Modena 1997, p. 219.

Attributed to:
Domenico Guattini (Workshop/Studio)
Dimensions:
Height: 32.28 in (82 cm)Width: 55.12 in (140.01 cm)Depth: 25.59 in (65 cm)
Style:
Régence (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Scagliola
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1720-1729
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1721
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. One lion leg invisibly restored a a previous stage.
Seller Location:
Berlin, DE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU102748088313