A near pair of Italian lapis lazuli and pietre dure-mounted pewter inlaid ebony cabinets, Roman second half 17th century

with a central drawer in the form of an architectural niche above a door flanked by Corinthian columns and pilasters and four drawers with a drawer above and one long and two short below on later flattened bun feet with a gilt-bronze handle on either side; mounts regilt; on modern gilt-bronze and steel stands 

Mario Tazzoli, London
The Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection, 1989

There is evidence that there were finials flanking the architectural niche. The internal lockplates have been replaced. There are some minor patches to the veneer. The handle on the central drawer is probably a later replacement. On one, the central drawer has a previous escutcheon. On the other cabinet two escutcheons are missing, but these can easily be replaced. There is a small section of moulding missing on the rear side of one. In overall good conserved condition.
"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:
Maria Teresa Balboni Brizza, Musei e Gallerie di Milano Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Ceramiche-Vetri Mobili e Arredi, Milan, 1983, p. 359, fig. 28.
Enrico Colle, Il Mobile Barocco in Italia, Arredi e Decorazioni d'Interni dal 1600 al 1738, Milan, 2000, p. 95, no. 18.
Anna Maria Giusti, Pietre Dure, Hardstones in Furniture and Decorations, London, 1992, p. 28, fig. 12.
Anna Maria Giusti, Splendori di Pietre Dure, L'Arte di Corte nella Firenze dei Granduchi, Florence, 1988, p. 49, fig.5.
Goffredo Lizzani, Il Mobile Romano, Milan, 1970, p. 16, fig. 30.
Alvar González-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Roma e il Regno delle Due Sicilie, Vol. II, Milan, 1984, p. 94, fig. 185.

The appeal to English Grand Tour collectors of seventeenth century Roman cabinets with arrangements of various pietre dure panels on the drawers, lay in the rediscovery of archeological antiquities in the 16^th century. This in turn fired an enthusiasm for all things Antique with Rome becoming a magnet for discerning collectors. Antique marbles were employed on Roman works of art and the desire to emulate the art of Ancient Rome together with the Mannerist cult of the employment of precious materials (of which Rome  had an abundant supply), combined towards the middle of the 16^th century to give rise to the Roman inlaid marble works known as commessi (from the Latin committere, to join together). There were large numbers of skilled craftsmen in 17^th century Rome, many of whom were Lombard in origin, although the attribution to specific makers for these cabinets (also called studioli) used to store precious collectors' items, still remains unresolved.

The Roman taste differed from that predominant in Florence in that it was dominated by abstract ornamental compositions rather than naturalistic or figurative motifs with the intrinsic decoration being in the natural decorative effect of the stone markings itself. As A.G.P op. cit., states, the names of possible cabinet makers for these aforementioned cabinets include Giacomo Herman who was regarded as the most outstanding ebanista in Rome at that time executing pieces for the Pope and the Emperor. Other names recorded by A.G.P. are the Germans, Giovanni Sigrist, Giovanni Falgher (Falker) and the Italians Niccolo Cavallino and Remigio Chilazzi.

There are also some very similar Roman pietra dura inlaid late 16^th/early 17^th century cabinets in the following major collections:

-a cabinet in the Capitoline Museum, Rome, illustrated by Lizzani, op. cit., p. 16, plate 30, reproduced here in fig.1.
- a late 16^th century cabinet in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, illustrated by Giusti, op. cit., p. 49, fig. 5, reproduced here in fig. 2.
-a cabinet in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan, illustrated by Balboni Brizza, op cit., p. 56, No. 9, (inv. 1128) extensively altered in the 19^th century.
-a pair of cabinets in the Long Gallery, at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.

Related cabinets sold at auction include:
-a cabinet sold from the Demidoff Collection, San Donato, Florence in 1870, subsequently sold as lot 810, Sotheby's, Monaco, 20^th June 1992, (3,000,000FF).
-the William Beckford Pietra Dura cabinet sold as lot 20, in these Rooms,10^th June 1998, reproduced here in fig. 3.
-lot 60, sold in these Rooms, 13^th December 1996.