An exceptional Italian alabaster topped, gilt-bronze mounted, giltwood, bois satiné and exotic woods marquetry and parquetry commode, Roman last quarter 18th century

with a quarter-veneered alabastro fiorito top (a macchia aperta) within a gilt-bronze border cast with leaves and small pearls, with two drawers  inlaid with an architectural setting with a propylaeum in the Egyptian manner with term figures and swags and two pillars surmounted by sphinxes centred by a flaming tripod on a double base flanked by falcons perched on a plinth, the foreground of each side depicting an architectonic bracket with heraldic animals, each side panel with a simplified version of the frontal scene, the various borders inlaid with bellflowers and a Vitruvian scroll, on fluted foliate carved giltwood legs; minor losses to veneer and gilding 

Previously sold Sotheby's London, 12th June 2002, lot 360.

E. Colle, Il Mobile Neoclassico in Italia, Arredi e Decorazioni dal 1775 al 1800, Milan, 2005, illustrated p. 123.

Colour less orange generally with more contrast between the areas. The top is very beautiful which is not apparent from the photograph. Some very minor areas of infill on the top and there are some very minor losses on the rear edge which are not too noticeable. Some restoration along the alabaster border of the top. Exceptional detail to marquetry with good contrasting colours. The bottom drawer has been strengthened internally and there are also some later additions internally to strengthen. The left side has old restored vertical cracks. There is a vertical patch approximately 1.5cm. wide down the right side, but this has been very well executed. A rare piece in overall very good conserved condition, which can be placed immediately.
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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."

This exceptional commode represents one of the most successful  pieces of Roman furniture conceived during the papacy of Pius VI (Braschi, 1775-1799). The inlay, with its rigourous architectonic design with hints of the distant Egyptian world, echoes the ideas of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778); the various borders inlaid with bellflowers and Vitruvian scrolls, with upper parts outlined by a giltwood edge, are reminiscent of the the two pairs of commodes from Villa Borghese and Palazzo Borghese made by the French ébéniste, active in Rome, Yves Livinec. However, on those commodes, Livinec employed veneers and inlays which are very sober without any figurative elements, the metal ornaments by Luigi Valadier being the major decorative elements. On the present commode the gilt ornaments are made of wood with the exception of the gilt-bronze border of the alabaster top. A very rare feature, if not unique, are the giltwood carved legs which seem to echo the typical bronzes of French furniture.
The comparison with the style of Livinec seems initially rather not pertinent, but the shape of the present piece and some of its inlays can be found on the above-mentioned commodes by him. It should also be noted that the marble top sits on a giltwood border carved with leaves which is almost identical to that on the two pairs of commodes by the French master. The size of these two pairs of commodes is identical (101cm x 163 cm. x 79cm.) and they are very close to those of the present commode which show the same proportions, although they are as large. The provenance of the commode here discussed is unknown, and all that is known is that it was part of a suite which comprised at some stage another identical commode and two smaller examples, which are reproduced here in fig. 1, the latter three pieces were originally in Nantes, France and were then sold twice at auction in Italy in 1989 and then in 1993.

Although at this stage the provenance cannot be fully traced, it is worthwhile to note on the extremes of the facade the presence of various heraldic animals. On each side, there is an eagle and a dragon which represent the arms of the Borghese family and they seem to emanate from two birds, perhaps storks with a snake in their beak. It cannot be disputed that the presence of an eagle together with a dragon implies a marriage between a member of the Borghese family with a member of another noble family. This may lead us to the conclusion in support of our initial hypothesis that this work was made by an ébéniste in direct contact with the papal family. The name of the architect Antonio Asprucci, who designed every object and every detail of the Villa Borghese should be mentioned at this point, as the similarity of all these pieces could be explained by the the fact that they were all by the same designer.

It is also possible that the commode was executed by another of the foreign ébénistes who resided in Rome, such as Gaspare Seiz (Saiz or Sajz), whose name was praised in 1788 in the Roman publication Memorie per le Belle Arti: 'II Sig. Gasparo Seiz da Salbrich di Germania'. It seems that Seiz did not enjoy great popularity in the trade, with the exception of the furniture commissioned by the magnanimous Prince Borghese ('fuori di quelli ordinatiglidal magnanimo Sig. Pr/nc. Borghese'). In 1784 for example, Seiz received 130 scud for having delivered two large commodes veneered with exotic woods and inlaid with figural motives to the Villa Borghese. They are mentioned in the following document: 'a Gaspare Saiz per prezzo di due comodo' grandi figurati impellicciati di legni forastieri'. We should remember that, the year after, in 1785, Yves Livinec, received 140 scudi, just slightly more, for the commodes for Villa Borghese, which have been mentioned above.

The suggestions so far should establish some ground for thoughts; undoubtedly, the commode examined herewith,is one of the most original amongst those produced in Rome in the neo-classical period.

April 2002

Alvar González-Palacios

1. Both pairs of commodes are illustrated in Alvar González-Palacios, Il Gusto dei Principi,  Milan, 1993, pp. 230-232, fig. 451, 461. The latter, from Palazzo Borghese, was sold in these Rooms, 10th June 1998 as lot 63.