Lot Details

Description

An important trumeau with a drop-front desk and upper cabinet, made of lacquered wood with a red background and gilded decorations. It is adorned with floral and geometric motifs, along with chinoiserie scenes featuring magots. The broken-pediment top houses two doors concealing six compartments and a central niche. The lower section has a serpentine shape with two drawers and a drop-front writing surface, revealing an interior divided into small drawers and a central compartment. The concave sides, scroll-shaped pilasters, and green-lacquered feet add to its distinctive design.

A masterpiece of Venetian cabinetmaking, this trumeau represents one of the finest achievements of the Lagoon's artistic production for the aristocratic palaces of the Serenissima. It stands out both for its dense and highly detailed chinoiserie decorations, executed with great skill and a didactic level of description and for its refined carvings, which create a dynamic interplay of sinuous lines, scrolls, and pilasters, lending the piece a sculptural and captivating presence. The exceptional quality of the lacquer, in a vivid and mesmerizing red, as well as the exquisite gilded decoration and carving, suggest that it was commissioned for an important noble patron in the heart of the city around the mid-18th century, possibly as the central element of an entire room decorated in red lacquer with oriental-themed ornamentation.

A direct comparison can be made between this piece and another trumeau, also featuring a red lacquer background and chinoiserie decorations. The latter was once part of the Alvise Barozzi collection in Venice and is published in S. Levy, Lacche veneziane settecentesche, Milan, 1967, Volume I, plates 164-167. While both share an elegant and light design, along with a distinctive broken-pediment top and richly detailed decorations, our example differs in having solid upper doors, also decorated, rather than glass panels. Additionally, its concave sides extend gracefully, subtly widening the lower section, rather than ending in a straight and less adorned structure, as seen in the Barozzi piece.

The motif of magots in various poses within landscape scenes, framed by gilded cartouches and garlands, is a recurring decorative theme in gold against the red lacquer background. Similar compositions can be found on decorative panels formerly part of the Tullio Silva collection in Milan. See: S. Levy, Lacche veneziane settecentesche, Milan, 1967, Volume II, plates 406-409; C. Santini, Le lacche dei veneziani, Modena, 2003, pp. 193-195, figs. 172-177.

Dimensions

52,17in x 25,59in h:99,41in

Provenance

Semenzato Venice, April 26, 1992, lot 225. Catalog cover.

Private collection

Bibliography

Levy S., Lacche veneziane settecentesche, Milano, 1967, vol. I, tav. 164-167

Levy S., Lacche veneziane settecentesche, Milano, 1967, vol. II, tav. 406-409

Santini C., Le lacche dei veneziani, Modena, 2003, pp. 193-195, fig. 172-177

Conditions

Imperfections and restorations.

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 product to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Coradi Rare Finds is merely a subjective opinion.