Puccini, Giacomo.

showing scenes from the opera, including for Act 1, Act 2 scene 1, and two for the "scena ultima" in Act 3, the scenes titled, signed and inscribed by the artist



inscribed "Turandot-- Atto I^o," showing the square and the city ramparts, within a red painted frame, in pastels, highlighted in white, c.34 x 48cms, some tears to the margins



inscribed "Turandot. Atto II scena I, G. Puccini. G. Chini, M.D., Firenze 24", in silver, showing Ping, Pang and Pong, within a proscenium arch, in front of an elaborately painted curtain in Japanese style, in pastels, highlighted with gold, c.32 x 48cms



inscribed "G. Puccini Turandot. scena.ultima. G. Chini.M.D. Firenze 24.",  two versions, showing the palace courtyard with Calaf before the Emperor and the court, in pastels, highlighted with gold, c.32 x 45cms



4 items, mounted on card and backed with cloth, all 4 also inscribed in black ink in a scribal hand ("Puccini G. Turandot..."), in the margins or on the back,

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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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."

Puccini died in November 1924, leaving Turandot unfinished. However, he had already begun to plan for the staging by early 1924 and had sounded out Galileo Chini (1873-1956) about the designs for it.  In February 1924, he recommended Chini to Ricordi's and asked about paying him: "I am thinking about the scenery...Now I have seen [Galileo] Chini, who did the sets for Schicchi, and who lived in Siam and China for four years. He would be happy to sketch the scenery for me...I maintain that with Chini and Brunelleschi we might have a mise-en-scene that would be artistic, and above all unusual and original..." (see W. Ashbrook & H. Powers, Puccini's Turandot: The End of the Great Tradition, 1991, p.142).  The opera was not produced until April 1926, seventeen months after Puccini's death; sets designed by Galileo Chini were finally used, the first sketches for which may have been done in collaboration with the composer.