An Italian Ivory Inlaid Kingwood, Amaranth, Rosewood, Fruitwood and Oyster Veneered Olivewood Marquetry Commode, attributed to Pietro Piffetti, circa 1735

the serpentine-fronted top of rectangular form with shaped corners inlaid with a scene in the classical style, above four conforming drawers with gilt-bronze foliage handles and escutcheons, on scrolled feet, the whole inlaid with strap-work and scrolling foliate and flowerheads arabesques

Sold Hôtel Drouot, Baron Ribeyre & Associés, Paris, 1 July 2005, Collections du Baron et de la Baronne Alain de Gunzburg et à divers, lot 213.

Alvar González-Palacios, 'Commode marquetée de bois rares', Galerie G. Sarti, Pietro Piffetti, Cinq meubles inédits, Paris, 2008, pp.12-20.

Roberto Antonetto, Il mobile piemontese nel Settecento, Turin, 2010, p. 282, nr.84.

This exquisite commode is in very good conserved condition and is ready to be placed. It displays fine veneers. The ivory inlay has a good colour with very good detail to the engraving, there are some minor areas of re-engraving. The top has a minor shrinking crack running horizontally which has been treated and is secure. The right return has a secure minor shrinking crack also. The finely cast original handles have some minor tarnishing. There are restorations to the feet which are secure.
"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

Giancarlo Ferraris, Pietro Piffetti e Gli Ebanisti a Torino 1670-1838, ed. Alvar González-Palacios, Turin, 1992.

This important Piedmontese commode, together with its pair, is part of a study by Alvar González-Palacios (2008, pp. 12-20) on the royal cabinet-maker Pietro Piffetti (1700-1777). With its rich ivory and fruitwood veneers on exotic woods ground, and characteristic oyster-veneered olivewood top, it demonstrates the idiosyncratic and sophisticated style developed in the Kingdom of Sardinia, of which Piffetti’s work was undoubtedly the apogee.

The pair to the present commode (fig. 2) was in the collections of the Marquesses of Bath at Longleat and was offered by Christie’s London, 13 June 2002, lot 472, sold £301,245. It is thought to have entered the Longleat collections through John Alexander, 4^th Marquess of Bath, who was an enthusiast of Italian Art, having made the customary Grand Tour. He was Ambassador Extraordinary and died in Venice in 1896. In the catalogue for the aforementioned sale, Giancarlo Ferraris wrote that the commode was 'an important addition to the oeuvre of Pietro Piffetti' and that 'it can be firmly attributed to the Turinese master.'

The stylistic affiliations with known works by the master are clear, namely the use of strapwork patterns made of fruitwood bands with ivory fillets, which give the decorative scheme a frame to the naturalistic ivory floral and acanthus inlays that spring from the volutes. The fall-front of a desk at the Palazzo Reale in Turin (fig. 1), dated from circa 1736-7, is a good example of this arrangement of strapwork and ivory floral inlays and also helps us to suggest a similar dating to our piece.

The similar arrangement can be seen in another pair of commodes by the ebanista, made for the Royal family and now in the Palazzo del Quirinale (fig. 3). Although with a more elaborate decoration, these commodes share with the present piece a gentle serpentine outline of the carcass and also the ornamental solution of having an engraved ivory central cartouche to the top. These royal commodes have carved giltwood scrolling feet which, notwithstanding the different medium, are not dissimilar to the current lot. With reference to the feet of the commode, González-Palacios wrote that 'a distinctive design solution, more or less exaggerated, can be found in many works by the cabinet-maker and not just as a support' (op. cit., p. 19). 

The exquisite top, with oyster-veneer olivewood ground, presents a scene of classically draped female figures on a landscape, with a bird flying above holding a branch, and a small hunting scene. Although the current image has not been yet identified, the panel at the Longleat companion carries a scene inspired by Homer’s The Iliad, with Juno and Jupiter attending the handing of Hector’s urn to Andromache.

The finely chased gilt-bronze handles and escutcheons are, as referred by Antonetto à propos of this pair (op.cit., p. 282, nr. 84), normally found in commodes by Luigi Prinotto and his workshop.

Pietro Piffetti (1700-1777)

Without a doubt, Pietro Piffetti is the greatest Italian cabinet-maker of the 18^th century and one of the most extraordinary virtuosi of 18^th century. His work is characterised by an extraordinary fluidity of line in combination with an unparalleled technical skill and lavish use of precious woods and exotic materials.

He was born in Piedmont in 1700 and trained in Rome in the 1720's, with his elder brother Francesco. In 1730, he came to the attention of the Prime Minister of Piedmont, the Marchese d'Ormea, and was persuaded to return to Turin the following year, to be subsequently appointed Royal cabinet-maker to Carlo Emanuele III. Piffetti spent the rest of his life in Turin, but for a period in Rome in the late 1740's, and was still active in 1767, dying in 1777.

He provided works not not only for the King and the Queen, but also for the King's eldest son, the Duca di Savoia (1726-1796), who succeeded his father as Vittorio Amedeo III, for the Royal Princesses, for the King's youngest son, the Duca del Chiablese, and for other members of the Royal family and aristocracy.

Piffetti's genius lay in his ability to combine luxurious materials with daring shapes, all executed with superlative craftsmanship. He was responsible for creating whole room settings, such as the library that is today in the Quirinale Palace as well as small chapels 'pregadio'. For his marquetry and the spectacular effects he attained, he used a variety of woods to which he added mother of pearl, ivory - sometimes tinted - and tortoiseshell. His work often makes use of the same motifs: acanthus leaves, small palms, arabesques, volutes and stylised scallopshells. The ivory is often engraved with hatched shading to give added volume and create a three-dimensional effect.

Piffetti also composed panels representing figures or landscapes, hunting and religious scenes. It is also worthwhile noting that he sometimes signed with the words 'sculpit' next to his name which leads to the assumption that he did not regard himself purely as a cabinet-maker but also as an artist engraver. There is a pictorial quality to the engraved scenes often based upon engravings.

Today, many of his works are to be found in the Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, the Fondazione Accorsi, the Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama, Turin, a lasting testament to his extraodinary talent and vision.