Beschreibung:

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT ITALIAN BAROQUE LAPIS LAZULI AND JASPER MOUNTED EBONY CABINET BY GIACOMO HERMAN THE CABINET, CIRCA 1669-1675, THE VIRGINAL 1676, THE CONSOLE TABLE, FIRST QUARTER 18TH CENTURY APPLIED WITH MINIATURES OF BASILICAS AND MONUMENTS OF ROME, CONTAINING A VIRGINAL BY GIOVANNI BATTISTA MABERIANI AND DATED 1676 AND SURMOUNTED BY A NOCTURNAL CLOCK SIGNED BY GIOVANNI WENDELINO HESSLER IN ROME, ON A SUMPTUOUSLY CARVED GILTWOOD CONSOLE TABLE, WITH A VENEERED VERDE ANTICO AND LUMACHELLA MARBLE TOP, ROME, the cabinet of architectural form with a triangular pediment surmounted by a later gilt-bronze equestrian figure (19th century and re-gilt) above a night timepiece signed Gioann Wendelino Hessler Romae, the dial painted with Chronos and the Papal tiara , a mitre, princely crowns and a helmet, flanked by jasper panels and scrolled gilt copper corbels above a gilt-bronze balustrade gallery surmounted by four gilt-bronze busts of Roman Emperors (modern), the central door with a lunette inset with a gouache depicting St. Peter's Square, opening to reveal a mirrored architectural interior, flanked by lapis lazuli columns with corinthian capitals surmounted by an arcaded painted panel depicting Romulus and Remus suckling the wolf, flanked by jasper panels and six drawers each applied with two painted gouaches within gilt-bronze banding depicting the Basilicas of Rome and monuments visited by the Pope in Office, each end of the cabinet concealing a sliding mirror reflecting the panorama of the churches, the frieze applied with further jasper panels and concealing a drawer, opening to reveal a removable virginal, on a stepped moulded base; a few gilt-copper sculptural elements missing; the carcase made of poplar; the drawers made of walnut; the fuse movement of the night timepiece with circular plates, baluster pillars and lipped barrel, verge escapement, lacking pallets, regulation device, driving three hours discs each pierced with numerals for a four hour cycle; the console table with serpentine veneered verde antico and lumachella marble top, above a concave frieze carved with lunettes and a twisted-ribbon centred by a smiling braided female mask flanked by ribboned oak leaf swags, within an s-scrolled cartouche flanked by further bold s-scrolls, the supports in the form of two leaning nude youths sculpted in tutto tondo entwined with oak leaves and acorns, the massive sculpted base centred by a winged moustached grotesque mask flanked by bold scrolls terminating in similar grotesque mask, on a shaped moulded plinth (re-gilt); INSCRIPTIONS The reverse of the clock incised: Gioann Wendelino Hessler Romae The right end key of the virginal inscribed in ink Io/ Gio[van]ni Ba[tti]sta Maber/iani/ feci/a/ Roma 1676....45 The back of the drawer concealing the virginal inscribed in ink num 3 - 850 The top of the drawer concealing the virginal inscribed in ink 3 lon....p.mi 6 onc. 2-850 The ebony section under the equestrian figure, inscribed in pencil on the reverse: Den Studiol hatt der Johannes Meisser gemacht von Freiburg von ihm selbstgefertigt (The cabinet was made by Johannes Meisser of Freiburg himself). the cabinet 184cm. high (including the equestrian group on the top), 153cm. wide, 50cm. deep; 6ft.Iin., 5ft.Din., 1ft.7Nin.