Beschreibung:

An Italian gilt-bronze-pietre dure-and marble-mounted ebony and ebonised cabinet, Roman, mid 17th century with a balustraded gallery surmounted by six flower-filled baluster vases above three frieze drawers above a central cupboard door centred by a scrolled boss and a profile cameo flanked on either side by a pair of Spanish portor and jasper columns with gilt-bronze Corinthian capitals opening to reveal a removable section containing three drawers above a further three drawers, flanked on either side by three drawers inlaid with geometric motifs, within gilt-bronze foliate border, the plain sides inlaid with pewter stringing above a breakfront base with three further drawers, the apron carved with an alternating ebonised and parcel-gilt band of acanthus and stylised egg and dart, the later stand with a frieze inlaid with pewter stringing with a patera mounted at each corner on six square tapering legs, similarly inlaid with pewter on gadrooned tapering feet, the drawers panelled with a quarter-veneered ground inlaid with a geometric motif in jasper within a Sicilian jasper border, six of the drawers with later oak trays; the whole veneered in lapis lazuli, various jaspers including Sicilian jaspers, cornelian, breccia, agate and calcedonio; the cabochons and cameo probably applied later; some replacements to bronzes cabinet: 93cm high,118 cm. wide, 43 cm.deep; Stand: 96cm. high, 122.5cm. wide, 48.5cm. deep; 3ft. ¾in., 3ft. 10½in., 1ft. 5in., 3ft.1¾in., 4ft.¼in., 1ft. 7¼in.