意大利胡桃木、伯爾胡桃木鎏金書櫃，威尼斯， 十八世紀中

the upper section with an arched top surmounted by a pierced balustrade with a peacock  flanked by a tree, column and a stylised building surmounted by a pierced scroll, rocaille, flower and foliate carved cresting above a cartouche-shaped engraved mirror depicting a seated female in 18th century dress in a landscape representing Juno above a pair of mirrored doors opening to reveal a fitted interior   `scarabattolo' with a central door surrounded by twelve serpentine and bowed long drawers and sixteen short drawers with herringbone parquetry banding, the pigeon holes with pierced rocaille and scrolled mouldings above three frieze drawers and two candleslides, the splayed sides with a mirrored door in each side revealing two drawers and pigeon holes above five further narrow drawers, the lower section with a serpentine fall-front with a removeable fitted interior revealing secret drawers and a slide revealing a recess and two further secret drawers, the interior with a door flanked by six long and six short drawers above three serpentine and bowed long drawers with drop handles, with pierced rocaille giltwood clasps at the top and base of the stiles and splayed concave sides on bracket feet, with  pierced carved giltwood cartouches with acanthus, rocaille and foliage

曾屬伊曼紐及法蘭高·蘇伯爾收藏（Emanuele and Franco Subert Collection），米蘭，意大利

歐洲私人收藏

Illustrated G. Morazzoni, Il Mobile Veneziano del '700, Milan, 1958, Vol. II, Tav. CCCLXXII and CCCLXXIII.

In overall excellent original condition.The patina is good. Old very minor restorations to carved giltwood elements on the cresting which are hardly noticeable, some of which have been strengthened at the back.There are some minor restored cracks generally which have been well executed. There is a horizontal construction crack running partially across the cresting as visible in the photograph which can easily be filled and there are other scattered age and hairline construction cracks which are commensurate with age and are hardly noticeable. The handles on the short drawers in the upper section appear to have possibly been repositioned. In the lower section inside the fall-front, when the slide is pushed back, it reveals two recesses where there were previously two drawers. There are some very minor chips to the giltwood carving on the lower section. Please note this is 312cm high and not as stated in the catalogue.
"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."

此令人印象深刻的書櫃造型典雅均稱，紋理細緻的胡桃木配上優美動人的雕刻元素，以鎏金仿傚鑲銅鎏金裝嵌，盡顯莞爾曲線設計，加上閃爍耀眼的蒼穹鏡面，完美體現十八世紀中期威尼斯精工技藝的巔峰。十八世紀威尼斯二間鏡壁設計極具象徵意義，華麗極致，勢必吸引了觀者之目光。憑藉其超凡的品質，此書櫃實是現存威尼斯貯藏中的至臻典範。然而，由於欠缺文獻佐證，只有少數製櫃師、雕刻工及鍍金匠的名字才能保留，得以在作品中註明個別製作者。

此類二間鏡壁（法國鏡子置於兩窗之間）很快便成為威尼斯貴族及富商豪宅趨之若鶩的超卓家具珍品。雖然它們原是作為裝飾沙龍中最好的牆壁，其同時更具有實用性，譬如本作品實為一座精心設計的玻璃櫃，上方內側、正前方以及側門均設置多個郵箱、抽屜、櫥櫃，以及數之不盡的隱藏抽屜。有些訂製的書櫃用於郊區別墅，多以塗漆或以「貧窮藝術」（arte povera）裝飾仿漆而成，當中最佳例子收藏於潟湖之顯赫宅邸，流線造型的書櫃以伯爾胡桃木所製，配以鎏金雕飾，並鑲有雕刻鏡子，如同是次呈獻之拍品，皆為威尼斯的經典款式。大部份威尼斯家具的尺寸都較小，當中只有鏡子和大型胡桃木書櫃得以紀錄，當中很少數的作品如本書櫃般保留了鎏金部分。此外，作品中的鎏金小屋與圍欄，更令人懷緬當時在威尼斯鏡飾上的狂想氣氛。