A pair of Italian carved giltwood console tables with the coat-of-arms of the Torrigiani and del Nero families, Florence post 1692, ante 1719

each with a serpentine giallo antico veneered marble top above a pierced frieze centred by a female mask, the boldly scrolled cabriole legs with a scrolled cartouche on the knees, one with the tower and three stars forTorrigiani, the other with the letters SPQR and a rampant dog for del Nero, joined by a shaped stretcher centered by a grotesque male mask on inward scrolled and block feet

Commissioned for Giovanni Vincenzo Torrigiani (1662-1719) and his wife Teresa del Nero, Florence (married in 1692);
Thence by descent;
Private European Collection.

In overall good conserved condition with areas where the gilding has been restored. Gilding more golden and lighter in colour as are the marble tops and much more attractive and natural than in the catalogue photograph. There are old very minor chips and areas of infill to both marble tops and there is a slightly larger section of infill on the side border of one of the tops and medium sized chip to rear left edge which is hardy noticeable as it is towards the back. On the other top when viewed from underneath the marble top it appears that a section on the right side border has been replaced but this is hardly noticeable unless viewing the underside. There are a couple of medium sized chips along the side and front edge of this top.
"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."

Furniture bearing the arms of newlyweds was relatively common in the 16th century when cassoni (destined to contain the dowry of the bride) were sculpted with the arms of the families united in marriage, allowing a precise dating for the execution of these works. This practice becomes rarer during the following centuries and the present pair of consoles therefore represents a very interesting example of it, allowing us to date its manufacture to between the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, when two young members of two wealthy and important Florentine families, Giovanni Vincenzo Torrigiani (1662-1719) and Teresa del Nero, were married. The coat-of-arms of each family is alternatively carved on the front legs of each of these console tables.

With this in mind, these consoles can be considered forerunners of a style which will become widespread two decades afterwards. The date of execution for these exuberant and richly sculpted console tables corresponds precisely with the inventive Baroque style promoted by Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652-1725), the Florentine sculptor, architect and designer employed by the Medici and who was, from 1695, in control of the Court workshops for which he produced designs and models, such as those illustrated in the Giornale (Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe, Uffizi Gallery, Florence). These provide interesting elements of comparison with our console tables (see Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Milan, 1986, pp. 28-31).

More precisely however, one should compare the present carvings with those on the monumental alcove designed by Foggini for Gran Principe Ferdinando de Medici at Palazzo Pitti and executed between 1683 and 1686 by the carver Vittorio Crester under the supervision of Foggini and of the court guardarobiere functionary Diacinto Maria Marmi. Despite their more contained dimensions, these consoles share with that masterpiece the same classical design made of elements derived from nature, leaves, cartouches and masks contributing to a spectacular Baroque scenographic effect.                                                                                                   

The Torrigiani and del Nero families.
The marriage between Giovanni Vincenzo Torrigiani, son of senator Carlo and Camilla Strozzi, with Teresa del Nero (daughter of Luigi Maria del Nero and Anna Maria Borbon del Monte) took place in Florence in 1692. The newlyweds lived in one wing of the vast Torrigiani Palace of Porta Rossa in Via Romana, construction of which began at the beginning of the 16th century, by Baccio d' Agnolo for the Bartolini Salimbeni family. It was bought by Luca Torrigiani in 1559, and lived in by the family until they ceased to exist. Bought in 1771 by Granduca Pietro Leopoldo, today it houses the Museo della Specola (Natural History Museum).

The coat-of-arms of the Torrigiani (a wealthy 16th century family which made a fortune in the trading sector and who were keen supporters of the Medici) is represented by a tower on a silver ground and surmounted by three gold stars. The del Nero family, barons of Porcigliano (a fiefdom of the church), is represented by a rampant silver dog with a red collar. Occasionally, as on the present consoles, the letters S.P.Q. R. (Senatus Populus Que Romanus) accompany the family coat-of-arms, as a reminder of their close link to the Pontifical State.