An important and rare Italian blue painted and parcel-gilt bureau cabinet, Venetian third quarter 18th century

of serpentine bombé form, the upper section with a shaped cresting and swan neck pediment carved with acanthus sprays, above a arched mirrored door opening to reveal a mahogany lined interior with drawers and pigeon holes flanking a cupboard door, the lower section with a fall-front opening to reveal six short drawers above two long dawers and a shaped apron, on squat cabriole legs, the whole carved with rocaille and foliate cartouches, mouldings and floral trails

Già Conte Valmarana Collection, Villa Rotonda, Vicenza

Thence to the present owner

Good colour match with p.73, but blue lacquer slightly paler and gilding more golden and less orange and much more attractive than in the catalogue illustration. Impressive size, beautiful detail to carving and quality of execution. Partially rebacked. Very minor hairline cracks which are usual and hardly noticeable and commensurate with age. Very minor retouching to lacquer and gilding which is original but has had its lacquer removed which has preserved its colour and condition. Beautiful mounts. Upper section: In the mahogany arched cresting there are some cracks which can easily be filled which are visible in the catalogue photograph on p. 75. The interior has three drawers and a cupboard door enclosing a recess. It is not mentioned in the catalogue but there are doors in the sides of the upper section (see side view on p. 72), enclosing four shelves.The mirror plate is later. The lower section with fall-front: The secret drawers are a little stiff and would benefit from easing. Inside the fall-front there are four drawers flanking a door with two dummy drawers opening to reveal a pull-out slide, with a later piece of pine beneath with two small square shaped cut-out sections.There is also a further slide in the top of the fall-front section revealing three drawers but the slide is stiff and needs easing. There are restored vertical cracks in the sides as visible from the photograph on p. 72, which have been so well executed and retouched and are really hardly noticeable. There are some battens beneath the base to strengthen. Front left foot restored break. An exceptional piece in very good original condition. very rare shape, and the fact that the mahogany lining is not often found in Venice would seem to indicate it was possibly a special commission. Writing desk with a top. The restorer's report from Simon Chiarugi is set out below translated from the Italian original: Wood of fir, Swiss pine, walnut, mahogany and cherry tree; carved, painted and gilded, ormolus, iron locks, large mirror. Height (not measured) approx. 300 cm. x width 166 cm. x depth 70 cm. Venetian manufacturing, third quarter of the 18th century. Technical analysis and observations on its current state. The furniture has a frame produced entirely from Swiss pinewood (carved parts) and silver fir wood (covering and structural elements). The inner glass cabinet and its back, and the internal covering of the pull-out shelf and of the door are in mahogany wood, most probably of the "Honduras" variety (Swietania macropyilla). The frame that holds the mirror is made of cherry tree wood while a part of the exterior back covering of the desk is in walnut wood. The analysis showed that in the building phase of the frame that houses the drawers, there was an alteration. Three sets of sliders and their respective drawers were originally planned of which the first drawer was of a small size. The tracks of the sliders' lodgings have been integrated so that only two drawers were constructed. The locks are produced in iron and plated with brass in some cases. The internal door of the desk is not the original one. The hinges, produced in iron, cast brass and brass foil are the originals. Identical observations can be made on the keyhole housings and handles, most of which still contain their original screws. The varnish has undergone, in more recent times, a decisive restoration process. It is possible to observe, with certainty, the loss of the original varnish of sandarac, still noticeable on a few out-of-sight parts such as the back of the feet and minimally on the surfaces in the form of micro-particles that produce golden reflections. The loss of this varnish has caused the original green tone that characterized the furniture to fade. The current blue surface has the original bases preserved with a thin craquelure. Several restorations have partially covered or concealed the original blue. The changes are particularly visible in some cracks, now sealed, on the side of the furniture. In these parts, well visible under the ultraviolet lamp, the restorer filled with stucco the defective areas and utilized the tratteggio re-touching technique. Traces of the old restorations of the original green tone are witnessed by widespread traces of green tempera on the back of the desk and behind the cresting. Other conservative restorations are noticeable in the carved and gilded parts. Small parts of carving, broken or missing, have been properly re-made and integrated in real gold. The original applications of plaster and bolo clay are visible in some areas, mostly due to wear. We believe that the current mirror is not the original one, which may have been replaced after breaking. At that time, the frame, in cherry tree wood, that shows typical traits of the artisans' work of the first half of the 19th century, was probably remade.
"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."

Comparative Literature:
Enrico Colle, Il Mobile Rococo in Italia, pp. 317-320, see the gilt rococo carving found on the frames and in the decorative schemes of stucco wall decoration, for example, in the Cà Rezzonico chapel, Colle, op. cit., pp. 317-320.

This magnificent bureau cabinet is exceptional not only for the rarity of its blue lacquer which is completely original together with its gilding, but also its interior lined in mahogany which is far superior and more costly than the usual walnut linings on these type of bureau cabinets and is rarely found on Venetian pieces at this time.

The colour which is rarely found on such large pieces indicates that it was probably conceived for a specific room setting with a particular decorative scheme in a Palazzo or other grand residence. No other comparable piece in blue lacquer is recorded to date which indicates that this must have been a special commission.

Venetian Bureau cabinets:
Whilst it is common to find Venetian bureau cabinets with straight sides, this model is rare due to its flaring  projecting serpentine sides and the blue colour as these bureau cabinets are more usually found lacquered in black, red or white.

Deriving its form from the Anglo-Dutch repertory, the bureau-cabinet, improperly called in Italy trumeau (from the French mirror which used to stand between two windows), very soon became the most important piece of furniture in the palaces of the ancient Venetian aristocracy and the rich merchants. Although they were meant to cut a bella figura on the best wall of a salon, these pieces were supposed to be functional too. While the bureaux cabinets commissioned for the surburban villas were often lacquered or decorated in arte povera to simulate lacquer. Sometimes these bureaux cabinets have cupboards on each side, making their size quite monumental.Unfortunately, due to lack of documentary evidence, very few names of cabinet-makers, carvers and gilders survive, to enable an attribution to a particular maker to be made.

The details of the cresting, the elegant proportions, the gentle serpentine design, the blue colour and the mahogany lined interior and the superior quality of craftsmanship make the present bureau-cabinet one of the best surviving examples of the Venetian repertory.

The Art of Venetian Lacquer:
Since the 16th century, lacquerware inspired by Oriental models has been produced in Venice and was first recorded by Maximilian Mission, a Huguenot traveller, who visited the city in 1688 and noted that there was a lively business in lacquerware at all prices. The taste for lacquered furniture reached its zenith in the 18th century with Venice being pre-eminent in its production. Aristocrats from all over the continent descended on the city during their Grand Tour and for the Carnival; the ensuing exposure of Venetian lacquerware to fashionable society resulted in a surge in the demand for these pieces throughout Europe. The growth and popularity of the Venetian lacquer trade must be placed in the context of life for the Venetian  aristocracy during this period and furniture conceived in the lagoon probably represents more than any other furniture produced elsewhere in Italy the embodiment of the true rococo style. Small richly decorated rooms, known as casini, were maintained by Noble families in Venice filled with bureau cabinets, commodes, guéridons and console tables and chairs.

Venetian depintore were at the peak of their powers towards the middle of the 18^th century and whole rooms would  be furnished in lacquered furniture displaying their superlative virtuosity. An example of such a room is the striking and elegant interior of the Grand Salon of Palazzo Cà Rezzonico, now the Museum of Decorative Arts, Venice. 

Many of the models for Venetian furniture were English or Dutch. Venetians wholeheartedly embraced the French rococo added a new dimension making the bombé commode and the bureau cabinets even more exaggeratedly swollen and this almost outré bombé look was a universally accepted trademark of Venice.

The decoration of Venetian lacquered furniture at the beginning of the 18th century was often in red or black and  closely followed  the Far Eastern models. Later the depintore developed a style more homogeneous to Venice with pale monochrome colours such as ivory, blue, green and pink within carved gilded borders. The decoration was a riot of fantasy and imagination with flowers, exotic birds, Arcadians scenes and oriental gardens featuring alle cinese or all'indian who could have well stepped out of the carnival parties. The obsession for fantasy and all things being not quite what they seemed was also reflected in the passion for trompe l'oeil decoration. This was transferred on the  lacquer furniture by way of carved flowers and foliage set off amidst painted versions and faux tops. The decoration of the lacquer was not identical and it was not uncommon for there to be several pieces in one room decorated with different motifs. This is where the Venetian depintore diverged from from their European counterparts as the latter would faithfully and literally imitate the oriental original. The Venetians loosely adapted the style of Far Eastern models but added their own imitable twist which was without parallel.

A detailed restorer's report on the condition of this piece in Italian is available from the department upon request.