A PAIR OF ITALIAN ROCOCO CARVED, RED-PAINTED AND PARCEL-GILT ARMCHAIRS PIEDMONT, SECOND QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

The Alberto Bruni Tedeschi Collection, Sotheby's London, March 21, 2007, lot 56.

Overall in excellent condition. Sturdy and large size. Ready to place. Some old wood worm damage. Redecorated and decoration now with some rubbing and losses. Legs blocked. Usual abrasions, scratches, and nicks consistent with use and age.
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.

These armchairs were most probably originally part of a larger set: four identical armchairs of the same measurements were in the collection of Pietro Accorsi, Turin. One of the four, now with the Fondazione Pietro Accorsi, is illustrated Enrico Colle, Il Mobile Rococo in Italia, Milan, 2003, p. 468; Vittorio Viale, Mostra del Barocco Piemontese, Vol. III, Turin, 1963, pl. 154/b; and Roberto Antonetto, Il Mobile Piemontese nel Settecento: Opere Anonime, Turin, 2010. p. 139. Three chairs were acquired by Accorsi from the parish of Villanova Solaro, Piedmont for his home in Moncalieri. According to tradition, but unconfirmed by documentation, the set of chairs were originally removed from the Palazzo Carignano, a residence built during the last quarter of the seventeenth century for the princely Carignano family. The fourth Accorsi chair was purchased on the international art market by Pietro Accorsi. Antonetto notes that a seventh chair from the set has been sold on the art market to a private collector with the intention to be placed on permanent loan at the Reggia di Venaria, one of the royal residence of the House of Savoy near Turin, see Antonetto, op. cit. p. 138.