Lot Details

Description

Bureau mazarin with Ivory Inlays of Scenes and Stylized Vegetal Motifs on an Ebonized Wood Background, from a Later Period with an Eclectic Decorative Apparatus, Inspired by Luigi Prinotto (Cissone 1685 – Turin 1780) and the Repertoires of Jean Bérain (St. Michel 1640 – Paris 1711).

The bureau mazarin features the classic forms of the so-called mazzarine, a type of furniture that was abundantly and masterfully produced by Turin’s cabinetmakers in the early 18th century, particularly Luigi Prinotto. The decorative apparatus consists of four engraved ivory figurative scenes: a rustic dance (on the front), the seesaw game (on the top), the traveler (on the left side), and the knife grinder (on the right side). A stylized vegetal decoration runs along the front of the drawers. Decorative ivory chains are distributed along the edge of the top, the uprights, the crosspieces between the drawers, and the supports.

Both the architecture of the desk and the decorative scheme could suggest an attribution to Luigi Prinotto’s workshop. However, the technical characteristics of the structure and the stylistic analysis of the decorations indicate a later period and the hand of a different engraver, despite sharing common themes inspired by the pictorial representations of Pietro Domenico Oliviero (Turin 1679 – Turin 1755), the artist who most vividly depicted scenes of Turin’s popular life on canvas.

A second source of inspiration for the decorations of the mazzarina is Jean Bérain. The ornamental master's figurative repertoires enjoyed widespread dissemination, and several references to his work can be identified in the desk’s design. It is worth noting that Prinotto himself frequently employed motifs featuring cherubs emerging from floral corollas or leafy clusters, as seen, for example, in a desk created for the Certosa di Pesio.

From the critical analysis, Dott. Roberto Antonetto

This lot is accompanied by CITES documentation IT/CE/2024/MI/00897

Expertise by Dott. Roberto Antonetto

Dimensions

50,59in x 24,61cm h:34,25in

Provenience

Private collection

Bibliography

Antonetto Roberto, Il mobile piemontese nel Settecento, Torino, Allemandi, 2010, Vol. I

Condition

Defects. 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 must understand that any statement made by Coradi Rare Finds is merely a subjective opinion.