Lot 186
  • 186

An Italian pietre dure still life plaque attributed to Enrico Bosi (active 1850-1865), Florence circa 1860

Estimate
12,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description

  • marble, poplar
  • 47cm. high., 38cm. wide; 1ft. 6½in., 1ft. 3in.
the oval panel depicting a still-life of fruits, an Etruscan style vase of flowers on a console and birds suspended from a cord, the table with a plate of strawberries, flanked by a melon, pomegranate, plums, grapes and half a lemon, the inlay comprising jasper, verde d’Arno, lapis lazuli and chalcedony on an Albarese limestone ground laid on a slab of black Belgian marble within a later octagonal ebonised ripple-cut frame with parcel-gilding

Provenance

Private Collection, Rome.

Literature

Anna Maria Massinelli, Painting in Stone, Modern Florentine Pietra Dura Mosaic, Florence, 2014, illustrated p. 59.

Condition

In overall very good condition.
"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

Comparative Literature:
Enrico Colle, Il Mobile dell Ottocento in Italia: Arredi e Decorazoni d’Interni dal 1815 al 1900, 2007, p. 412 (ill.)
Alvar González-Palacios, The Art of Mosaics, Selections from the Gilbert Collection, Los Angeles, 1982, p. 214, ill.108.

This exquisite plaque was inspired by the late 18th century Florentine Grand Ducal production. The attribution to Enrico Bosi is made on the basis of the superlative quality of design and choice of stones and its striking similarity to a plaque depicting the same subject matter with a very similar composition by Enrico Bosi, sold in these Rooms on 6th  November 2014, lot 98 (£26,000), which had three maker’s labels on the reverse: H.Bosi Place S. Trinita No. 1 Florence.  

For a closely related composition, compare the circular pietra dura table top illustrated by Anna Maria Giusti, Pietre Dure, Hardstone in Furniture and Decorations, London, 1992, p. 97 and 98, ill. 29. 

Enrico Bosi had his workshop in via Tornabuoni and later in Piazza San Trinitá in Florence. For several decades he supplied an international clientele who visited Florence and also exhibited internationally. Together with makers such as Francesco Betti, Bianchini and the Buoninsegni brothers, he filled the void left by the decline of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, supporting the high demand for these luxury objects by aristocratic and bourgeois patrons. He was a personal acquaintance of Victor Emmanuele II, who made him an equerry and acquired pieces from him, such as the cabinet on stand now in  Palazzo Pitti, Florence.