Buffet in two parts with an arched pediment and four doors. The gold leaf ground decorated with twelve large cartouches with rococo cut out engravings depicting pastoral and maritime scenes against a lagoon backdrop surmounted by busts in rocaille style frames. The doors open to reveal pine shelves covered in red silk, and the inside doors of the top part of the buffet bare further decoration in the rococo style.
Venice, Italy second half of the 18th century.
HEIGHT: 245 cm (8'11")
WIDTH: 142 cm (7'7")
DEPTH: 57.5 cm
The Arte Povera movement of the 18th century stemmed from the prevailing passion of the 17th century Europeans for Chinese and Japanese lacquered furniture which was both exotic and a great expense. Veneitian artisans answered the demand for this work with the 'lacca povera' technique where furniture could be painted and then covered in engravings followed by varnish to imitate lacquer. This piece is particularly unusual as instead of a painted ground the buffet is entirely gilded.
£POA |
