A Neapolitan carved pietre dure panel depicting a man, attributed to Francesco Antonio Pallme-König, circa 1800

This charming panel displays magnificently pietre dure in relief and can be associated with Francesco Pallme-König's work, with whom this panel can be associated. Two similar panels depicting two putti and a dog (one offered Sotheby’s London, STONE IV, 17 January 2023, lot 3, the other with Galerie Kugel, Paris) have clear stylistic similarities with the present, namely the excellence of the carving, quality of the stones' polishing, and naturalistic features of the figures suggest the same hand. The latter bears the following inscription on the reverse "Francesco Antonio / Palme König / Napoli 1802".

Unfortunately, not much is known about Francesco Antonio Pallme-König’s life nor career, but he was involved with hardstones as evidenced by these panels. He was an engraver at the Royal Laboratory of Pietre Dure of S. Carlo alle Mortelle, established in Naples in 1738 at the Church of San Carlo alle Mortelle by the will Charles III of Spain (1716-1788). Then King of Naples as Charles VII, he invited Domenico del Rosso and Giovan Francesco Pieri, two cutters who worked at the Opificio delle pietra dure in Florence, to Naples to instruct the workers over there, who themselves trained the subsequent generations of talented craftsmen such as Francesco Antonio.

The Pallme-König (or Palme Koening)

The Pallme-Königs are an important family with Bohemian origins established as manufacturers and traders primarily in glassworks since the 18th century. Members of the Pallme-König family were dispersed throughout Europe and branches are found in Bohemia (Steinschönau), Italy (Trieste, Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Palermo), Egypt (Cairo) and America.