Renaissance Furniture

Late 18th century or early 19th century French school, antique painting featuring the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Child, Saint John the Baptist around. Our work has been painted using ...

Splendid sideboard in solid walnut, finely carved with refined decorative details. The cabinet has two doors that open onto two large shelves, and two drawers on the front. The class...

19th century Renaissance style chair. Handsome antique Continental Renaissance style or Gothic style walnut Savonarola chair, throne chair, si...

Late 18th century or early 19th century French school, antique painting featuring the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Child, Saint John the Baptist around. Our work has been painted using ...

Italian Double Bed Headboard in Painted Wood with Shell and Leafy Volutes. Handcrafted from fir wood in the second half of the 20th century, this antique double headboard is a softl...

A chair like this doesn't come along everyday. With its unique white walnut barley twist frame and arms that terminate at the hand rest with hand-carved resting lions, this piece is ...

18th-century Tuscan Two-Axis Walnut Fratino Table: a timeless masterpiece If you want an authentic piece of furniture that is rich in history, this 18th-century Tuscan two-axle waln...

19th century French Hall Bench Settle Renaissance Carved Oak Cherub Black Forest. Direct from France, a beautiful antique French hall bench, large enoug...

Beautiful and authentic Dutch Renaissance table made in solid European Summer oak. The top was made in three wide boards of oak and has a fantastic grain pattern and a weathered surf...

Monumental and important Renaissance Palladio dining room set all in solid hand-carved walnut from a Palladian Palace in Vicenza of a Venetian patrician family. The back of the showcase was rebuilt again at the end of the 800 first 900 with the application of damask fabric The table can be extended up to 4-6 meters The large sideboard and the display cabinet are in the process of conservative restoration and have therefore been disassembled, as seen from the last photos. Measures in cm: Sideboard H 240 x L 315 x D 70 Display cabinet H 240 x L 230 x D 60 Table H 78 L x 230 x D 140 Extendable to 4-6 meters Notes: The architectural design of Andrea Palladio...

Mid-Century Florentine Black and Gold Gilded Frame, Italy. Sturdy and beautiful, this frame is ready for a picture and certainly captures that European vibe.Fits 16x20 artwork

Beautiful antique Italian solid walnut side table with four beautiful walnut cabriole carved legs and detailed by the shaped corners, beveled top and central drawer with brass handle...

An incredible pair of Savonarola chairs from Italy circa 1890's. They feature heavy solid wood construction with great hand painted detailing. Upholstery was redone some years back, ...

Exceptional Antique 19th Century Renaissance Revival Hunt Cabinet. Hand carved from oak with a large upper display portion that opens to three adjustable shelves. Door frames are neatly carved and flanked by meticulously carved outer stiles with figural ringed lion spandrels over a fruit and foliate motif. Crown is centered by a shell and scrolled foliate cartouche set between acanthus motif and French medallions. The base of the cabinet has two hand dovetailed drawers with figural carved gargoyle...

A truly exquisite ecclesiastical panel. Spanish or Italian Featuring a late 16th Century central roundel depicting a half length figure of St Peter worked in silk and metallic threa...

An outstanding 16th century Italian (Venetian ) solid walnut and partially polychromed frame. Beautifully hand carved birds and flowers, this style was typical for Venetian time of 1...

This exquisite 5-piece bedroom set features a magnificent EU King-size bed with an impressive Renaissance-style headboard 172cm H and footboard 70cm, crafted from beautiful walnut wo...

Rectangular Venetian mirror, made in the strictest Murano tradition, finely hand-engraved on the bands by skilled master engravers. All the elements are assembled with floral element...

This is an absolutely outstanding and extremely expressive sculpture of Crucified Jesus Christ in carved polychrome wood, on the background of a 16th century Silk Florentine fine fab...

Cellarius Andreas Pair of 18th Century Watercolor Celestial Maps within gilt frames, titled Planisphaerivm Aratevm sive Compages Orbivm Mvndanorvm ex Hypothesi Aratea in Plano Expre...

Last Supper. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century. It has faults. An oil on panel painting depicting a figurative image against a neutral background, with a checkered tile...

Early Arista y cuenca tile made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers was probably made between 1550 and 1575.

Pair of pillows featuring a Fortuny fabric, known for their luxurious, hand-printed designs with a distinctive Venetian style. It is one of Fortuny's classic styles that often showc...

19th century Spanish Renaissance buffet was sculpted from dense, old-growth oak with glorious full relief depictions. Set upon a brilliantly...

Original octagonal Venetian mirror made in the strictest Murano tradition, with rich antique bands carefully engraved by hand. All assembled with crystal / blue elements...

Wonderful image after Veronese Fine Steel engraving. Published by Tallis, London. circa 1850 Unframed.

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right, Hermann Emil Pohle. The painting is a genre piece. A Renaissance style hunting scene. The hunting horn is blown before...

A PAIR OF ITALIAN RENAISSANCE STYLE WALNUT SIDE CHAIRS 19TH CENTURY, INCORPORATING EARLIER ELEMENTS In solid walnut with straight seats, gilt acanthus leaf finials, carved front st...

An Italian Renaissance-style garden planter or basin in hand-carved limestone with a centered shell and scrolls on either side. It has a heavy top rim and bevels on the bottom. Minor...

19th C. bas-relief panel which is a type of sculpture where the design in only slightly raised from the background surface, creating a shallow, low-relief effect. The relief depicts...

An exquisite and very rare 16th century renaissance Silk brocade fragments mounted and artistically displayed in the Glas case on the antique linen. Both fragments are greatly preserved and originated by its design from famous Palazzo Pitti in Florence. The ornaments contain flowers, jaguars, birds and Fleur De Lis- the symbol of royalty. The colours remain vibrant and parts of golden embroidery/ threads are in very good condition considering the age. Both fabric...

The Sovereign of the Seas, an early British "First-Rate Ship of the Line" was launched in 1637 and was the most magnificent ship of her era. Designed in 1630s by Phineas Pett, she was the first ship to have three full gun decks, carrying a total of 102 guns, on the orders of King Charles I. No expense was spared in her construction. Renamed the Royal Sovereign when Charles II came to the throne in 1660, she fought in several battles during the second and third Dutch wars between 1666-1673. The nine years war against France broke out in 1689 and the Sovereign of the Seas (Royal Sovereign) was present at the Battles of Beachy Head...

'World Chronicle' 1st edition, by Schedel, Nurnberg, 1493 Original woodcut, one page with seven illustrations and Latin text By Hartmann Schedel, originally published: July 12, 1493 Illustrator: Michael...

Middle age Gothic European Renaissance style for the jewelry box in steel with golden parts. We recognize middle age figures all around and on the top of the box and the renaissance architectural...

A Rare and Important Renaissance "Judaica" Carved Oak Wood Cabinet, circa 1680 We are pleased to present a rare and important Renaissance Judaica c...

This is a Bronze Reliquary Casket. It depicts a rectangular lidded casket/box shaped as a house with a hip roof and its walls are glasses framed wit...

SHIPPING POLICY: No additional costs will be added to this order. Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included). The centre painted with archaic de...

CANOPY BED IN HAMMERED AND GILDED WROUGHT IRON   ORIGIN: SPAIN PERIOD: 16TH CENTURY   Height: 270 cm Length: 152 cm Depth: 240 cm   (Base: H. 206 cm; W. 148 cm)   Hammered and gilded...

Renaissance cabinet from Burgundy Or Lyon Region Origin : Burgundy Or Lyon, France Period : Second Half 16th Century, C. 1580 Height : 209cm Length : 184cm Depth : 71cm Good condition Walnut wood, original keys and keyholes Around the middle of the 16th century the conception and ornamentation of French furniture evolves. The start of major building projects, such as the castle of Fontainebleau, gives artists a new impulse. Inventive and rich formulas are developed there, before spreading to all of Europe thanks to engravings and printed leaflets. Furthermore, Italian artists working on such construction sites bring French artists and patrons a renewed taste for the Antique. Regarding the art of furnitures, the most complex scenes and figures are drawn from illustrated books, ornament and emblem compendiums and engraving compilations. Rather than copying those images the artisans feed their inspiration and decline the motifs in numerous variations. The ornamental grammar marks a return to the Antique : palm leaf, acanthus, egg-and-dart, greek, scroll, fluted pilaster… It is in Primaticcio’s and Il Rosso’s stuccos made around 1540-1550 that we have to look for the origin of leather cut-outs, masks, chimaeras, harpies, sheathed figures, fruit and flower garlands that soon enrich every pieces of French furniture. The structure of the pieces of furniture also evolve thanks to the re discovery of Antique architectures, rigorously used as a model. This cabinet presents an imposing structure and a rich and original decor exemplifying the production of the late 16th century, infused with Italian, Antique and Fontainebleau influences. It stands on a moulded base ornate with palm leaves. It opens with four door-leaves and two drawers in the belt. Six whimsical terms divide the facade. The lower body is horizontally divided by three sheathed female terms. The two standing on the lateral posts are topped with fruits while the body is covered by acanthus leaves carved with precision, belted at the waist. The term standing on the central door-jamb is crowned with laurel leaves and is draped in the Antique fashion. A wincing mask hides the key hole. The two door-leaves are centred by a beautiful mask carved in a strong relief. They wear stylised feathered headdress and are set on draperies. Straps, leather scrolls, acanthus leaves and a shell are spread around the masks. The recessed panels are secured in frames ornate with acanthus leaves. The belt is flanked by two large mouldings enriched with variations of acanthus leaves. The drawers are carved with choux bourguignons and palm leaf motifs minutely executed. The consoles between each drawer bear tormented wincing masks, showing horns as if they were fauns or imps. The upper body is framed by two male terms characterised by a strong and nervous musculature, their manhood hidden by drapes secured thanks to a winged lion head. The term on the left appears to be younger and is wincing while the one on the right has a beard. The central female term brings contrast with her youth and sensuality. As it is the case on the lower body, the key hole is hidden behind the mouth of a faun’s mask placed on the drapes barely covering the intimacy of the caryatid. The panels of the upper body present an idealised architecture comprising pilasters and sinuous broken pediments. The pilasters are flanked by two satyrs with goat legs. In the centre appears an important lion mask. The terms of the upper body support the cornice. The entablature carries palm leaves and roses alternating as well as an egg-and-dart frieze. The cornice is adorned with acanthus motifs. On the sides, the carving is executed flat. A central rose is surrounded by scrolls, flowers and choux bourguignons. We can admire the variety of the elements employed. The artist vary with great genius many different ornamental motifs : palm leaf, egg-and-dart, laurel leaf, roses, scrolls … But the artist went even further as each profile and each face is individualised and presents different features. You can take a look at the faces of the satyrs flanking the upper body’s panels. The talent of the artist is undeniable. It makes no doubt the patron who commissioned this cabinet was an aesthete looking for the greatest quality. The artist who authored this cabinet had a great mastery of composition both in the general design and in the individual panels. They probably drew inspiration from engravings and drawings made especially for the making of this piece of furniture or not. They seem to be familiar with the style of Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Indeed, we can find in Du Cerceau’s engravings the same juxtapositions of leather cut-outs, masks and fruits. The terms and caryatids used on the facade could very well be inspired by his work as well. The cabinet-maker was also undoubtedly observant of Hugues Sambin, the most famous cabinet-maker and sculptor in the Burgundy of the time. Like Du Cerceau, Sambin left an important ensemble of models particularly useful for the design of cabinets. His publication De l’Oeuvre de la diversité des termes dont on use en architecture (1572) was an essential book for every artisan. All the motifs testify of the artisan’s high knowledge of forms as well as the precision of their tools : super imposition of ornamental elements, foliages, architectural cut-outs, flat and high reliefs alternating, palm leaves inscribed in circular spaces, wincing faces. It is also a testimony of the artisan’s familiarity with Italian and Fontainebleau productions. Because of the proficiency of the cabinet-maker in so many different models, this cabinet truly is a master-piece authored by the hand of an authentic master. The generous carvings executed with great rigour and virtuosity evoke an origin close to Burgundy and Lyon workshops. This cabinet was made by a master of the region during the Second French Renaissance. Literature BOCCADOR Jacqueline, Le mobilier français du Moyen-Âge à la Renaissance, Édition d’art Morelle Mayot, 1996 BOS Agnès (dir.), Mobilier du Moyen âge et de la Renaissance, La collection du musée du Louvre, Louvre éditions...

A rare carved walnut wardrobe opening with four door-leaves and two drawers in the lower part. The doors bear architectural views in low reliefs, fluted pilasters and Ionic capitals. Upper Body Two door-leaves with carved architectural perspectives open the wardrobe framed by three fluted pilasters with Ionic capitals. Each door-leaf depict two semi-circular arcades whose cornice and base shows a central vanishing point. Likewise the pavement’s lines act for the artisan as a way to create depth. The vaulting instead leads us to think the vanishing point has to be situated where the handle is, between the two complementaries reliefs. The elegant moulded belt hides an internal secret space, accessible through a moveable plank in the upper body. Lower Body Two door-leaves identical to those of the upper body framed by three fluted pilasters with Doric capitals. The base of the wardrobe opens with two large drawers. The sides also bear panels depicting architectural perspectives. The external pilasters share their Ionic capital with the facade’s pilasters. Thus we can observe on the wardrobe’s sides the capital’s lateral parts with the elegant volute specific to the Ionic order. This palace wardrobe is topped by an overlapping cornice standing on three consoles for the facade and two consoles on each sides. Placed right above the pilasters each console are adorned by fully expanded leaves. During the 15th century a major interest for architecture and perspective studies arises and influences patrons tastes. The work of great theorists such as Leon Battista Alberti...

Precious Venetian mirror made in the strictest Murano tradition. Finely hand-engraved on the corner elements, it is assembled with numerous floral elements in crystal and pink handma...

Set of four Italian walnut Savonarola armchairs ORIGIN : FLORENCE, ITALY PERIOD : LATE 15TH CENTURY - EARLY 16TH CENTURY Measures: height : 102 cm 40.15 inches, height : 93 cm 36.61 inches length : 68 cm 26.77 inches, length : 68 cm 26.77 inches depth : 55 cm 21.65 inches, depth : 50 cm 19.68 inches Walnut Very good condition This movable Italian seat from the late 15th century descents from the roman curule seat. It took the name of sedia Savonarola...

Likely Italian or French, 18th century. An impressive and large mortar carved from a single block of white marble. Showing phenomenal antique patina - this piece was heavily used du...

An incredible and rare 15th century French carved limestone fragment depicting the back of a man's head with a wavy hair texture, and mounted on a c...

Code: FQ58 Period: 19th century Style: Renaissance Dining room of the School of Arts in Monza, 19th century, walnut hand-carved consists of: sideboard showcase with leaded cathedral glass; sideboard with central mirror; console with large mirror; table with 12 chairs lined leather. Measures cm (height, length, depth): sideboard with showcase...

Rare and grand Venetian Renaissance style silk brocade panels (two panels per length - total of three sets available as one continuous length or sold separately) - opulent woven patt...

A Flemish armorial tapestry. Late 16th century, possibly Spanish Woven in wools, depicting the arms of the Abbasid dynasty, combined with those of ...

Important pair of armchairs attributed to H.A. Fourdinois, with a flat back in “chapeau de gendarme” centered with a carved and foliated cartouche, joining padded scroll armrests car...

The bust intricately carved from Italian Carrara marble with lifelike features including textured hair and shaped chest. The bust carved as Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Octavius (lat...

Exceptional polychrome wood low-relief depicting a werewolf and saint george after a woodcut by lucas cranach (“DER WERWOLF” 1512) Provenance : collection Brimo de Laroussihle colle...

Very elegant Italian Renaissance style drinks dry bar cabinet with beautiful carved walnut wood, slant central door and nicely shaped bottom pedestal stand. The piece has all around ...

A large 16th century Venetian cedar. wood Cassone is an exquisite example of the craftsmanship characteristic of the Italian Renaissance period, featuring beautifully detailed scenes dating to circa 1550-1580. Made from cedar wood, the chest has a deep, rich patina. Cedar wood was prized during the Renaissance for its durability and resistance to decay, making it an ideal choice for fine furniture intended to last for generations. In Renaissance Venice, cassoni were a standard part of a bride's dowry among the nobility and wealthy merchant classes. Venice was a thriving trade hub with a population of about 150,000 in the mid-16th century, and the upper classes commissioned these chests . The decoration of the chest is particularly breathtaking. Its surface features intricate figural panels that depict various scenes, which include historical, mythological, and symbolic representations. Among these are 16th century knights, chariots, mythical beasts, and lions. The designs are expertly silhouetted against a recessed ground, giving a three-dimensional quality that enhances their visual impact. The use of punch-work, a decorative technique involving the stamping of the wood with a mesh-like pattern, adds texture and depth to the surfaces. This technique is indicative of the meticulous attention to detail for which artisans in Italy were known during this period. Overall, this Venetian Cassone...

The Olive green silk velvet of Ferronerie design Dating from 15th century. With stylised pomegranate motifs. Renaissance possibly Florence Consisting of two joined panels. The ...

From Niagara Furniture a vintage Henkel Harris Bachelors Chest of Drawers in very good condition. Simple yet sophisticated this beautiful...

An antique ink stand, made of polished brass, completely in Renaissance style, with richly pieced scroll motifs. The inkwell has two removable ink we...

Rare carved Renaissance cabinet Period : 2nd half 16th century, ca. 1570 Origin : France, Burgundy or Languedoc This cabinet embody the produ...

19th century French carved oak Dolphin library table desk Renaissance Gothic. Direct from France, an elegant antique French carved ...

Large oval wall mirror in a gold-patinated, carved wooden frame with volutes and leaf decorations. The gilding is rubbed in places and the bolus shines through.

Acquareccia plate Patanazzi workshop Urbino, last quarter of the 16th century It measures diameter 17.12 in; foot diameter 11.53 in; height 1.88 in (43.5 cm; 29.3 cm; 4.8 cm). Weight State of conservation: wear and a few small minimal detachments of enamel, chipping on the raised areas, peeling of enamel at the brim on the back. This large, shallow basin is equipped with a wide and convex well. It is umbonate with a contoured center. The brim, short and flat, is enclosed in a double rounded and barely raised edge. The basin has a flat base without rims; it has a slightly concave center in correspondence to the well. The shape takes inspiration from the basins associated with the metal forged amphora pourers that traditionally adorned the credenza. These were used from the Middle Ages to wash hands during banquets. Two or three people washed their hands in the same basin and it was considered an honor to wash one’s hands with an illustrious person. The decoration is arranged in concentric bands with, in the center of the umbo, an unidentified shield on a blue background: an oval banded in gold with a blue head, a gold star and a field with a burning pitcher. Rings of faux pods separate the center from a series of grotesque motifs of small birds and masks. These go around the basin and are, in fact, faithfully repeated on the brim. The main decoration develops inside the flounce of the basin, which sees alternating symmetrical figures of winged harpies and chimeras. The ornamentation, outlined in orange, green and blue, stands out against the white enamel background. This decorative style, defined since the Renaissance as “grottesche” or “raffaellesche”, refers to the decorations introduced after the discovery of the paintings of the Domus Aurea towards the end of the fifteenth century. The discovery of Nero's palace, buried inside Colle Oppio by damnatio memoriae, occurred by chance when a young Roman, in 1480, fell into a large crack which had opened in the ground on the hill, thus finding himself in a cave with walls covered with painted figures. The great artists present in the papal city, including Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Raffaello, immediately visited these caves. The decorations found there soon became a decorative subject of immense success: the term grotesque , with the meaning of “unusual,” “caricatured,” or “monstrous,” was later commented by Vasari in 1550 as “una spezie di pittura licenziose e ridicole molto”( “a very licentious and ridiculous kind of painting”). The decorations “a grottesche” also widely circulated in ceramic factories, through the use of engravings, variously interpreted according to the creativity of the artists or the requests of the client. Our basin is reflected in similar artifacts produced at the end of the sixteenth century by the factories of the Urbino district. See the series of basins preserved in the main French museums, among which the closest in morphology is that of the Campana collection of the Louvre (Inv. OA1496); this however has a more complex figure decoration, while the decoration of our specimen is sober and with a watercolor style. The style, sure in its execution, approaches decorative results still close to the works produced around the middle of the sixteenth century by the Fontana workshop. The decoration is closely linked to their taste, which later finds its natural outlet, through the work of Antonio, also in the Patanazzi workshop. Studies show the contiguity between the two workshops due to the kinship and collaboration between the masters Orazio Fontana and Antonio Patanazzi, both trained in the workshop of Guido Fontana il Durantino. It is therefore almost natural that their works, often created according to similar typologies and under the aegis of the same commissions, are not always easily distinguishable, so much so that the presence of historiated or “grottesche” works by Orazio is documented and preserved in Antonio Patanazzi's workshop. Given that the studies have always emphasized the collaboration between several hands in the context of the shops, it is known that the most ancient “grottesche” works thus far known, can be dated from 1560, when the Fontana shop created the so-called Servizio Spagnolo (Spanish Service) and how, from that moment on, this ornamentation became one of the most requested by high-ranking clients. We remember the works created for the Granduchi di Toscana, when Flaminio Fontana along with his uncle Orazio supplied ceramics to Florence, and, later, other commissions of considerable importance: those for the service of the Duchi d’Este or for the Messina Farmacia of Roccavaldina, associated with the Patanazzi workshop when, now after 1580, Antonio Patanazzi began to sign his own work. Thus, in our basin, the presence of masks hanging from garlands, a theme of more ancient memory, is associated in the work with more advanced stylistic motifs, such as the hatching of the chimeras and harpies. These are found here on the front with the wings painted in two ornate ways. In addition, the theme of the birds on the edge completes the decoration along the thin brim and can be seen as representing an early style typical of the Urbino district during a period of activity and collaboration between the two workshops. Later, a more “doll-like” decorative choice, typical of the end of the century and the beginning of the seventeenth century, characterized the period of the Patanazzi workshop under the direction of Francesco. Bibliography: Philippe Morel, Il funzionamento simbolico e la critica delle grottesche nella seconda metà del Cinquecento, in: Marcello Fagiolo, (a cura di), Roma e...

The bust intricately carved from Italian Carrara marble with lifelike features including textured hair and shaped chest. The bust carved as Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Octavius (lat...

A panel of Cisele Velvet Venetian and dating from second half of 16th century An Ottoman Pomegranate design. The deep pile Magenta silk velvet voided to reveal a gold metallic groun...

Presented at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889 Important sculpted and engraved natural wood, patinated bronze and Griotte de Campan red marble inlaid Neo-Renaissance style cabinet. The upper part is composed of a frieze of bronze medallions separated by triglyphs and supported by ribbed columns with Corinthian capitals. There are eight of these columns paired at the front and two simple columns at the rear. The facade presents an alternation of bronzes in niches and cartouches, of marble slates in cartouches sometimes flanked by palmettes, and of engraved motives of laurel and foliage scrolls. The upper part opens with three leaves and three mobile compartments. The belt carved with acanthus leaves opens with two drawers. This cabinet is supported by four richly sculpted tapered feet ending with claws. Four fluted pilasters are inscribed in the moulded back as counterparts. The whole ensemble stands on a moulded plinth and eight rounded feet. Neo Renaissance Cabinet...

A Spanish Renaissance walnut spice cabinet from circa 1680 with abundant foliage carved décor. This captivating Spanish Renaissance walnut spice cabinet, dating to circa 1680, enchan...

Acquareccia plate Patanazzi workshop Urbino, last quarter of the 16th century It measures diameter 17.12 in; foot diameter 11.53 in; height 1.88 in (43.5 cm; 29.3 cm; 4.8 cm). Weight State of conservation: wear and a few small minimal detachments of enamel, chipping on the raised areas, peeling of enamel at the brim on the back. This large, shallow basin is equipped with a wide and convex well. It is umbonate with a contoured center. The brim, short and flat, is enclosed in a double rounded and barely raised edge. The basin has a flat base without rims; it has a slightly concave center in correspondence to the well. The shape takes inspiration from the basins associated with the metal forged amphora pourers that traditionally adorned the credenza. These were used from the Middle Ages to wash hands during banquets. Two or three people washed their hands in the same basin and it was considered an honor to wash one’s hands with an illustrious person. The decoration is arranged in concentric bands with, in the center of the umbo, an unidentified shield on a blue background: an oval banded in gold with a blue head, a gold star and a field with a burning pitcher. Rings of faux pods separate the center from a series of grotesque motifs of small birds and masks. These go around the basin and are, in fact, faithfully repeated on the brim. The main decoration develops inside the flounce of the basin, which sees alternating symmetrical figures of winged harpies and chimeras. The ornamentation, outlined in orange, green and blue, stands out against the white enamel background. This decorative style, defined since the Renaissance as “grottesche” or “raffaellesche”, refers to the decorations introduced after the discovery of the paintings of the Domus Aurea towards the end of the fifteenth century. The discovery of Nero's palace, buried inside Colle Oppio by damnatio memoriae, occurred by chance when a young Roman, in 1480, fell into a large crack which had opened in the ground on the hill, thus finding himself in a cave with walls covered with painted figures. The great artists present in the papal city, including Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Raffaello, immediately visited these caves. The decorations found there soon became a decorative subject of immense success: the term grotesque , with the meaning of “unusual,” “caricatured,” or “monstrous,” was later commented by Vasari in 1550 as “una spezie di pittura licenziose e ridicole molto”( “a very licentious and ridiculous kind of painting”). The decorations “a grottesche” also widely circulated in ceramic factories, through the use of engravings, variously interpreted according to the creativity of the artists or the requests of the client. Our basin is reflected in similar artifacts produced at the end of the sixteenth century by the factories of the Urbino district. See the series of basins preserved in the main French museums, among which the closest in morphology is that of the Campana collection of the Louvre (Inv. OA1496); this however has a more complex figure decoration, while the decoration of our specimen is sober and with a watercolor style. The style, sure in its execution, approaches decorative results still close to the works produced around the middle of the sixteenth century by the Fontana workshop. The decoration is closely linked to their taste, which later finds its natural outlet, through the work of Antonio, also in the Patanazzi workshop. Studies show the contiguity between the two workshops due to the kinship and collaboration between the masters Orazio Fontana and Antonio Patanazzi, both trained in the workshop of Guido Fontana il Durantino. It is therefore almost natural that their works, often created according to similar typologies and under the aegis of the same commissions, are not always easily distinguishable, so much so that the presence of historiated or “grottesche” works by Orazio is documented and preserved in Antonio Patanazzi's workshop. Given that the studies have always emphasized the collaboration between several hands in the context of the shops, it is known that the most ancient “grottesche” works thus far known, can be dated from 1560, when the Fontana shop created the so-called Servizio Spagnolo (Spanish Service) and how, from that moment on, this ornamentation became one of the most requested by high-ranking clients. We remember the works created for the Granduchi di Toscana, when Flaminio Fontana along with his uncle Orazio supplied ceramics to Florence, and, later, other commissions of considerable importance: those for the service of the Duchi d’Este or for the Messina Farmacia of Roccavaldina, associated with the Patanazzi workshop when, now after 1580, Antonio Patanazzi began to sign his own work. Thus, in our basin, the presence of masks hanging from garlands, a theme of more ancient memory, is associated in the work with more advanced stylistic motifs, such as the hatching of the chimeras and harpies. These are found here on the front with the wings painted in two ornate ways. In addition, the theme of the birds on the edge completes the decoration along the thin brim and can be seen as representing an early style typical of the Urbino district during a period of activity and collaboration between the two workshops. Later, a more “doll-like” decorative choice, typical of the end of the century and the beginning of the seventeenth century, characterized the period of the Patanazzi workshop under the direction of Francesco. Bibliography: Philippe Morel, Il funzionamento simbolico e la critica delle grottesche nella seconda metà del Cinquecento, in: Marcello Fagiolo, (a cura di), Roma e...

Antique Renaissance Revival Carved Oak Draw Leaf Refectory Small Dining Table. Item features a unique smaller size, 2 hidden draw leaves, remarkably carved double pedestal base, very...

This is an absolutely exquisite rare Cooper-gilt ,silver-gold and three Sterling Silver angels Chalice originated from Augsburg (Germany ) in th...

Late 19th century Italian screen with a gorgeous oil painting of floral scene. The oil paint colors are vibrant and in good condition. The frame is made of canvas over a wooden frame...

Madonna and child, Classical 19th century painting. This lovely oil painting was purchased in Spain. The artist is unknown. The painting still maintains its original finish and ha...

renaissance carved coat of arms, travertine coat of arms, stone heraldic coat of arms, Renaissance carved coat of arms. Hand-carved coat of arms on Roman travertine in Renaissance st...

Wonderful image after Domenichino Fine steel engraving. Published by Sangster, London. circa 1850 Unframed.

SUPERB Carved Antique French Oak Corner Cabinet with Drawer and Key~~TALL~~c. 1890s-1900 Carved door with upper drawer and key~~two...

Wonderful image after Domenichino Fine Steel engraving. Published by Tallis, London, circa 1850 Unframed.

This solid oak carved chest was made in the Netherlands during the Renaissance period. It was made in the finest quality oak and high quality carving. The carvings are deep and met...