Nicholas Wells Antiques Ltd

An exceptional late 17th-century Anglo-Dutch painted screen, composed of six hinged panels, richly decorated in oil paint on canvas on board. The ...

Important and rare set of nine exquisite New Testament silk thread appliqué panels known as Broderies à fils collés. Each panel depicts a distinct biblical scene, rendered with remarkable precision and delicacy. Signed Marianna Elmo, Italy, Lecce, circa 1750. Italy Circa 1750, 1755 Frame H: 95 cms (37.5 ins) Frame W: 75 cms (30 ins) Panel Height : 26 cms (10.2 ins) Panel Width: 20 cms (7.9 ins) Centre Height: 24 cms (9.5 ins) Centre Width: 18 cms (7 ins) Divine Threads: A Set of Nine New Testament Appliqué Panels by Marianna Elmo Scenes from the New Testament The scenes include the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Holy Family (x2), The Holy Father and Jesus, Jesus taken to the temple, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and the Resurrection. Each is rendered with remarkable precision and delicacy. Marianna Elmo Daughter of painter Serafino Elmo, an important artist in Lecce during the 18th century, Marianna was an embroiderer who used the technique of broderie à fils collés (glued thread embroidery). She created images and landscapes by gluing polychrome silk threads onto a cardboard support, covered with a layer of virgin wax. The faces and limbs of the figures are crafted from cut silk or satin shapes, further painted with tempera or watercolor to achieve lifelike detail. The panels contain many figures embroidered and painted with remarkable skill. Marianna translated the paintings of her father and of famous painters of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries into colored threads and is considered the leader of the school of Lecce embroiderers. Her fame reached Naples. Leonardo Quesi, Amato Quesi, Gaetano and Angelo Pati, and Irene Elmo, Marianna’s sister, belonged to this school. Marianna’s work is recognized for its technical brilliance and artistic sensitivity. Two dated works by her hand are known in museum collections: *The Flight into Egypt* (1752, Museum of San Martino, Naples) and a casket reliquary of St. Mary of Banzi (1754, Banzi, Province of Potenza). Additionally, the Pinacoteca Provinciale di Bari holds two signed pieces by the artist. The panels were often used in religious settings or as embellishments for sacred objects. The compositions are inspired by prints, a common practice among embroiderers of the period, and feature key moments from the New Testament, including scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Medium The images are created using the technique known as broderie à fils collés, where thin polychrome silk threads and metal threads are meticulously applied side by side onto a virgin beeswax-coated cardboard base. The faces and limbs of the figures are crafted from cut satin shapes, further painted with tempera or watercolor to achieve lifelike detail. The panels contain many figures embroidered and painted with remarkable skill. Dimensions – 8 panels: 26 x 20 cm each – Centre panel: 24 x 18 cm Provenance Acquired from Sotheby’s, London, in the 1960s by the owner’s father; reframed in Paris by Christian de Beaumont...

A masterpiece in design and imagination. Exquisitely chased. One the finest pair gilded Bronze Dolphin candlesticks ever made. In very good condition Exceptional Rare Pair 18th Ce...

One of the most important early nineteenth century specimen hardstone table tops ever created, with 373 specimens, mounted on a beautifully designed and constructed base by Gillow. ...

A rare and very fine early 19th century antique solid mahogany extending dining table with four finely made oak inserts, each numbered. The two ends are of solid mahogany with the...

Museum quality pair of late 18th century Louis XVI neoclassical Canapes retaining their original 18th century petit point needlework upholstery. The frames with neoclassical carved d...

RICHARD BRIDGENS PARTNERS DESK & CHAIRS Stock Number: 37331 A rare English architectural partners desk in oak with its original tooled leather top. With three drawers on each side, ...

Superb Pair Qing Dynasty Carved Purple Fluorite Imperial Buddhist Lions of Fo. These exquisite male and female Lions are similarly carved on double platforms, the gemstone in both ex...

A large French 16th Century Beech wood & leather chest, with iron flowerhead and domed stud work to front top and sides. Original hasp and lockplate, the interior of the box with lat...

Oriental aesthetic vine lamp, a unique early 20th-century piece that masterfully blends natural form with artistic craftsmanship. Featuring a weathered substantial vine trunk base th...

An 18th century Flemish marquetry vitrine on chest, the shaped crest centred by a finial above two glazed doors opening to a shelved cupboard, the vitrine sits on a serpentine chest ...

Leda and the swan carved in white marble, Italian, Risorgimento, late 19th century. Stock Number: 33150 Leda and the Swan: A Mythological Tale Immortalised in Marble The mythology ...