BAROQUE CABINET, ROMANIC WORK FROM THE LATE 17th CENTURY In ebony, blackened wood, rosewood and inlaid polychrome marble and hard stones such as lapis lazuli, agate, carnelian, green jasper and Sicilian jasper, decorated with chased and gilded bronze, the architectural front surmounted by an openwork balustrade and opening with ten drawers around a central leaf, resting on flattened ball feet; the feet are probably of later date, restorations. H. 78 cm (30 ¾ in.) l. 100 cm (39 ¼ in.) P. 36 cm (14 ¼ in.) A Baroque gilt-bronze mounted, ebony, ebonised, rosewood, specimen marble and pietra dura cabinet, Rome, late 17th century The Roman workshops differed from the Florentine ones in their marquetry with geometric motifs inspired by the ancient opus sectile, found on pavements and wall veneers unearthed in Roman ruins. These cabinets were made by the greatest cabinet-makers in Rome, such as Giacomo Herman, who created pieces for the Pope and the Emperor. Our example has all the hallmarks of seventeenth-century Roman cabinets: a highly architectural form, sometimes inspired by the architecture of Roman churches of the period, and inlaid panels of lapis lazuli, agate and jasper in baroque cartouches, creating a stained-glass effect and contrasting with the ebony. Rather than taking figurative forms, as in Florence, Roman marquetry sublimates the natural beauty of hard stones. Often destined to adorn the curiosity cabinets of wealthy collectors (studioli), these cabinets were also sold years later as souvenirs of the Grand Tour, the traditional cultural journey undertaken by wealthy English collectors to several European countries. *Information for buyers: If you are leaving the EU, you may need to obtain a CITES re-export certificate, which is the responsibility of the future buyer. Restrictions may apply depending on the country of destination. *Information to the buyers : For an exit from the EU, a CITES re-export certificate will be necessary, at the buyer's expense. Restrictions can apply depending on the country of destination.