An Italian polychrome lacquered and painted faux marble commode, Sicily, circa 1790

the rectangular moulded top above a fall-front opening to reveal two long drawers on square tapering legs, the top, front and sides all decorated with stylised birds and flowering branches within a stylised dentillated rope-twist and entwined floral border within a pale blue faux-marble surround 

The Alberto Bruni Tedeschi Collection, Sotheby's, London, 21 March 2007, lot 97 (£96,000).

In overall very good conserved condition, with minor marks and chips consistent with age and use, minor losses to paint, mainly to the edges, and decoration refreshed. Minor scuffing to feet, handles to drawers and lock apparently original; small repair to each drawer. A very attractive piece, ready to be placed.
"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:
Alvar González-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Milan, 1984, Vol. II, p. 275, fig. 629. 
Maurizio Giarrizzo and Aldo Rotolo, Mobile e Mobilieri nella Sicilia del Settecento, Palermo, 1992, p. 124.

The overall form of this commode, is very typical of neoclassical commodes made throughout Italy in the late 18th century. However, the vibrantly coloured turquoise marbling around the borders would seem to directly echo the characteristically late 18^thcentury Sicilian practice of mounting furniture with painted glass panels simulating marble and semi-precious stones, the most famous of which is a set of seat furniture sharing the same particular form of leg as on the present commode and entirely veneered with similarly blue marbled glass panels. This ensemble was traditionally thought to originate from the celebrated Villa Palagonia at Bagheria outside Palermo and chairs from this suite are recorded in several private and public collections including the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, and the Art Institute of Chicago illustrated by Alvar González-Palacios, op. cit., p. 275, fig. 629. 

The striking colours and bold, simplified two-dimensional outlines of the birds and flowers are inspired by imported Chinese silks and wallpapers and probably would have formed part of a Chinese room, the taste for which remained undiminished throughout 18^th and 19^th century Sicily. The most celebrated Chinoiserie interiors in Sicily are those of the Palazzino Cinese in the Parco della Favorita in Palermo, built for the exiled court of King Ferdinand IV of Naples between 1798 and 1806, the internal decoration of which represents a highly particular fusion of oriental and neoclassical motifs, a trait also seen in this commode’s integration of a dentillated border with interlaced flowers surrounding the Chinese-inspired birds. Furthermore, several of the palazzino’s salons also employ a comparable blue and yellow decorative scheme (see Francesco Morena, Chinosierie. The Evolution of the Oriental Style in Italy from the 14^th to the 19^th Century, Florence 209, p .210-216). As the palace’s original furniture has largely been dispersed, it is not entirely inconceivable that this apparently unique commode may have formed part of its interiors during the Bourbons’ reign.