An Italian pietre dure rectangular plaque from the Florentine Grand Ducal Workshops, 17th century

with an oval centred by a ribboned pearl necklace with a border of tulips, carnations, bluebells and other flowers and leaves with three caterpillars, the angles with birds on a fruiting branch, two with cherries, two with pears, fourth angle with a parrot, all on a black marble ground within a later rectangular gilt-bronze frame

Giovanni Sarti Antiques, Ltd;

The Collection of Gianni Versace, Sotheby’s New York, 6 April 2001, lot 147;

Giovanni Sarti Antiques, Ltd;

European Private Collection.

Galerie G. Sarti, Fastueux Objets en Marbre et Pierres Dures, Paris, 2006, 118-120 (ill.).

In overall very good conserved condition. The choice of the stones is most attractive. There are some old very minor restorations to the black marble ground as visible from the catalogue photograph. There are also some very minor chips some of which have been filled. The sixth pearl from the left has obviously been replaced whilst the others seem to have a different appearance probably due to the foil backing having oxidized. There are some old very minor marks and scratches to the gilt-bronze border.
"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."

The use of the string of pearls with colourful ribbon, as central motif in a decorative composition, was probably firstly used on a table top commissioned by the Grand Duke Ferdinand II (1610-1670) and mentioned by Filippo Baldinucci in his Notizie: 

“Ne forse di minor pregio fu la bellissima tavola fatta pure da costoro, e donate dal serenissimo granduca Ferdinando al cardinal Antonio Barberino, nel mezzo della quale si vedeva rappresentato un vezzo di perle, che per la sua somiglianza al vero, ingannava l’occhio e la mano stessa di chi li tocavva”. (Filippo Baldinucci, Notizie de' professori del disegno da Cimabue in qua,  1681-1728, vol. III, p. 221.)

Pearls were used as an ornamental motif in the mid-17^th century, as seen on an impressive octagonal table in the Galleria degli Uffizi, which displays shells with pearls sprouting in a complex decorative design. It not only reproduces the iridescent effect of the pearl surface through chalcedony but also satisfies the strong taste of this period for the luxurious and the exotic, here manifested by the pearls.

The present precious panel should be contemporary to this early top mentioned by Baldinucci. Another early example of this successful trompe l’oeil effect is in the Muséum National d’Historie Naturelle, Paris, formerly in the Royal French collections (fig. 1). This graceful idea was then used both in large table tops as well as smaller pieces becaming part of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure decorative canon and used throughout the 18^th century. Giovanni Battista Foggini used it in pieces such as the extraordinary table top with Royal French coat of arms in the Galleria Pallatina at Palazzo Pitti and the central plaque in a clock cabinet in the Gilbert Collection, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Florence trained workers who moved to Naples, and later Madrid, to set up pietre dure workshops in these cities also employed this theme. A pair of tables with the string of pearls made in Naples by Francesco Ghinghi in the 1740’s, is now in the Museo del Prado. In the Palazzo Reale della Caserta there is also a table top by Gennaro Cappela with a string of pearls and a fan surrounded by a light garland of flowers.