A very rare pair of Italian pietre dure plaques, Granducal Workshop, Florence, probably by Fabiano Tedesco after a design by Emanuele Tedesco early 17th century

each of rectangular form, one depicting figures in a landscape, the other depicting figures amongst buildings within a seascape, on a black slate ground, the whole inlaid with alabaster, lapis lazuli and jaspers, within a Régence style carved giltwood frame

Colours overall much more vibrant and much livelier with more contrast, less pale and slightly darker and much livelier than appears in the catalogue photograph. Superb detail to choice of stones and design. There is a very miniscule restoration to the right side of the border of the seascape. On the other, some minor pitting in sky area and there is a slight gap between the edge of the sky and the yellow border where there is a small break, also above that on the black slate border . There is also a very small triangular shaped patch to the top left corner. The frames: A minor loss to the top left corner of the frame with seascape and minor losses to carved frame generally. Construction cracks at the joints generally, which can easily be fixed or left. Very attractive carving to the frames, which are slightly dirty and would benefit from a light clean according to taste. Charming detail to the panels. A rare pair of panels representing some of the finest work of the Florentine Workshop. In overall very good condition. Highly recommended.
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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."

Comparative Literature:
Wolfram Koeppe and Annamaria Giusti, Art of the Royal Court, Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe, New York, 2008, pp. 156-157.

These panels in both the choice of the stones and depiction of buildings and vegetation, are very much in the style of Fabiano and Emanuele Tedesco who were working in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in the early years of the 17th century. See for example the panel of `Jonah after Escaping from the Whale', by Fabiano Tedesco, after a design by Emanuele Tedesco, circa 1612, in the Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence, (1905; 456) with similar treatment of the buildings and vegetation and alabaster sky, as on the present plaques, illustrated by Koeppe et al, op. cit., p. 157, reproduced here in fig.1.

It was the custom since the early days of the Galleria dei Lavori (the semi-precious-stone workshop founded in 1588, by Ferdinand I de' Medici), for a painter to be assigned the task of creating a model for the mosaic, and a craftsman skilled in the sectional mosaic inlay, `commesso', would then execute the work. In the case of the panel reproduced here, the register of the Galleria dei Lavori, shows that in 1612, one `Emanuele Tedesco', submitted a colour drawing of the story of Jonah, which was to be executed by the hand of `Fabiano Tedesco'. 
There is scant information about Emanuele Tedesco, who in 1612, also made the model for an image of Samson Triumphing over the Lion, and who, the previous year, had provided several drawings of `villages'-it can be assumed according to Koeppe, op. cit., that `he was trained in the landscape tradition made popular through Flemish painting.' It is also possible that he had been at the Court in Prague as there is the obvious influence of the Castrucci workshop of Prague, in the treatment of the landscape and dramatic choice of stones to give the effect of the tree bark, on the present panels. There had been an exchange both of artists and ideas with Florence due to the establishment of the pietre dure workshops in Prague by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II.

It is also likely that `Fabiano the German' was apprenticed in stone inlay in Prague as he favoured the use of Bohemian and Alsatian jasper stones which were typical of Prague mosaics. Certain elements of his composition eg. the gnarled tree trunk in the foreground and the clouds with pinkish grey chalcedony echo the works of the Castrucci family in Prague.