Lot 340
- 340
A pair of Italian fruitwood and walnut mirrored Neo-Gothic architectural cabinets, Veneto circa 1850
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 GBP
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Description
- fruitwood, walnut, glass
- approx: 229cm. high, 85cm. wide, 49cm. deep; 7ft. 6¼in., 2ft. 9½in., 1ft. 7¼in.
one with a fall-front opening to reveal a leather writing surface with a fitted interior, eight short drawers surmounted by a secret flap above a push button release secret drawer forming part of the central mirrored niche, above a pull-out checkboard drawer, the lower section with three shelves, the upper section of the other with a door opening to reveal a fall-front enclosing three shelves, the lower section with three shelves
Literature
One of the offered cabinets is illustrated in Enrico Colle, Il Mobile Dell' Ottocento in Italia, Milan 2007, p.266.
Condition
These extraordinary cabinets are in good overall condition. The pinnacles to each upper section are loose. There is minor spotting to the mirrored panels. There are some age cracks to the pierced tracery. Care should be taken when opening the example with the exterior fall due to its weight.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This pair of extraordinarily theatrical cabinets demonstrate a fusion of early architecture and a 19th century dramatic interpretation of historic style. The publication of work such as Leopoldo Cicognara's Storie della Scultura, Venice, 1813-1818 was an intellectual indictment on the value of medieval art and encouraged craftsmen, notab꧃ly from the 1840s onwards, to replicate and interpret earlier Gothic styles, as is seen in the offered cabinets. Towards the middle of the 19th century (especially after the Great Exhibition in London in 1851) this neo-gothic style had become truly international and w🌳as very much a favourite of those patronising architects, designers and craftsmen.