Italian Design 900 srls Scientific Instruments

A rare Christmas ornament set of twelve mushrooms. Each is made from thin mouth blown glass. This would be a great antique addition for your Christmas or feather tree. Found at an Es...

A delightful and most decorative Italian 19th century Grand Tour Period Neo-Greek st. patinated Bronze, Ormolu and Marble centerpiece tazza. This elegant tazza is raised by four lion...

Glamorous set of three polish brass and lucite candle holders by renowned American designer “Mr Lucite” Charles Hollis Jones. In great condition with minor wear consistent with age...

Fantastic Friedrich Herder Abr. Sohn Solingen bayonets, knives, razors, enamel porcelain advertising sign. Never used, it was found on the original packaging. Perfect gloss. German m...

19th century fruitwood mortar and pestle. Lathe work, remnants of paint or dark stain. Original pestle included. Period: First half of the 19th century Origin: Eastern, US Size: 5" ...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlaid with a sumptuous arrangement of semi-precious stones including malachite, agate, onyx and amethyst. It is beautifully inlaid on a slate base. Not only is this desk paperweight very functional, but it is also an exquisite mineralogical wonder that can be admired by all discerning collectors. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation, Dimensions in cm: Height 2 x Width 17 x Depth 10 Dimensions in inches: Height 1 inch x width 7 inches x depth 4 inches. Pietra dura is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished coloured stones to create images. It is considered a decorative art. Pietre dure is an Italian plural meaning "hard rocks" or hardstones; the singular pietra dura is also encountered in Italian. In Italian, but not in English, the term embraces all gem engraving and hardstone carving, which is the artistic carving of three-dimensional objects in semi-precious stone, normally from a single piece, for example in Chinese jade. The traditional convention in English has been to use the singular pietra dura just to denote multi-colored inlay work. However, in recent years there has been a trend to use pietre dure as a term for the same thing, but not for all of the techniques it covers, in Italian. But the title of a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe used the full Italian sense of the term, probably because they thought that it had greater brand recognition. The material on the website speaks of objects such as a vase in lapis lazuli as being examples of "hardstone carving (pietre dure)" The Victoria & Albert Museum in London uses both versions on its website, but uses pietra dura. "A method of inlaying coloured marbles or semi-precious stones into a stone base, often in geometric or flower patterns...." Giovanni Montelatici...

19th century fruitwood mortar and pestle. Remnants of oxblood red and silver blue banded paint. Original pestle included. Origin: Eastern, United States Period: First half of the 19...

Mid-Century Modern Lucite tissue box in the style of Charles Hollis Jones, circa 1970s. The piece is very heavy and substantial with a horizontal gro...

The profile of Caesar in profile in high relief. The yellow marble base with stepped edges.

A rare and visually striking Lucite chess set designed by Charles Hollis Jones, a celebrated American designer known for his innovative work with acrylic and Lucite. Created circa 19...

The round paperweight framed in black marble, with porphyry and sienna marble and other marble specimens. The center in sienna marble with carved bea...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlai...