Lot 15
  • 15

An Italian chinoiserie painted carved giltwood mirror, Venetian mid 18th century

Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
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Description

  • 213cm high, 130 wide; 6ft. 8in., 4ft. 3 1/4in.

Provenance

Cella Collection, Liguria.

Condition

In overall very good conserved condition and very rare to have a Venetian mirror painted on gilt. Highly recommended. Colour slightly darker overall and much more attractive than in the catalogue photograph. The detail to the painting is charming. There are some very minor hairline cracks in the frame which can easily be filled or left. Some old very minor restorations to some of the carved sections but these have been so well executed that they are hardly noticeable. The glass candlearms are later additions. Measurements: 218cm high, 122cm wide and not as stated in the catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Comparative Literature:
Saul Levy, Lacche Veneziane Settecentesche, Vol . II, Novara, 1999, tav. 240, Tav. 244.
C. Santini, Le Lacche dei Veneziani, Oggetti d'uso quotidiano nella Venezia del Settecento, Modena, 2003, p. 76, plate 5 and p. 96, plate 25.

Although many examples of lacquered chinoiserie mirrors are recorded it is extremely rare to find one in this technique of painted decoration on a gilded ground.

The furniture conceived in Venice in the middle of the 18th century reflected the wealth and cosmopolitan lifestyle of the Venetians due to its strategic important centre as a commercial centre. The extravagance of this period known as `the Serenissima' was reflected in its furniture especially the  painted and lacquered pieces, which were often, as on the present mirror, decorated with chinoiseries to imitate the much more expensive lacquer-ware imported from the Far East.  With its strategic location, Venice was the natural bridge to the East and it is not surprising that Venice became the pre-eminent centre of lacquerware and items in a technique which imitated lacquerware which had become popular in the 17th century. At the beginning of the century, the subject matter of the decoration was derived mainly imported Oriental prototypes, with figures `alla chinese' and `indiana' hilighted in gold  against dark backgrounds mainly red and black in imitation of the style popular in Holland and England at that time. Other decoration included fanciful floral motifs which were the invention of the local depentori who were interestingly part of the same corporation as the more celebrated Venetian artists until 1691. Later on Venetian craftsmen developed a more unique and original style and introduced a lighter and more fanciful and varied palette including ivory, light blue, green yellow and pink. They continued  to use chinoiserie scenes but incorporated a variety of flowers, birds and insects which made the decoration truly Venetian. 
Levy, op. cit. Tav. 244, illustrates a mirror in green and gilt lacquer of similar form decorated with chinoiseries in the museum Cà Rezzonico, Venice. Also see another Venetian lacquered mirror of similar form illustrated by the same author  in Tav. 240, which is also in Cà Rezzonico, Venice,