An Italian Baroque style ormolu and hardstone-mounted ebonized cabinet probably Florence, mid-19th century

mounted with a great variety of hardstones including onyx, lapis lazuli, red griotte, campan pink and green, Sienna, tiger blue, and sarrancolin.

Some elements of dentil molding to cornice lacking, mostly to left side. Small chips and losses to ebonized veneer, especially to projecting cornice and the back edges of the sides, which also have multiple patches specifically three (approx. 3-5 inches) to the left side of the cornice of the lower section; other small patches, chips, and losses throughout the cabinet. Wear to ebonized surface throughout, mostly to bottom of left side. Wear to painting gilding. Marble and hardstone generally intact with some cracks and small chips. One marble column and one lion head mount to interior detached but present. Another column loose at base. Small patches, some carved architectural elements to interior are replaced, especially to inside of doors. Other mounts are missing; figures are later.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This cabinet evokes the celebrated production of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure founded in Florence in 1588 by the Grand Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici. It became renowned for its distinctive use of various hardstones and semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, agate, chalcedony, malachite, etc., usually inset in ebony structures to create stunning contrasts. Seventeenth-century cabinets of architectural design with a dazzling array of pietre dure existing in the Grand ducal workshops of the nineteenth century were the inspiration for a number of revival pieces produced in the Opificio, but also in other Florentine workshops by makers such as Pasquale Leoncini and Andrea Picchi. The present lot, with its impressive array of different hardstones, opulent mounts and overall architectural design, fits in the context of that production. The nineteenth-century workshops, however, did not just copy but appropriated from varied sources, such that the painted panels to the reverse of the cupboard doors derive from seventeenth-century Flemish cabinets. These types of cabinets, fusing together complex groups of influences, were sold in Florence to an increasing flow of wealthy tourists visiting the recently unified Italy. Pietra dura cabinets maintained their status as great art trophies and still kept attracting the grand European families as they did in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.