18th CENTURY ITALIAN PLATE, PROBABLY FLORENCE WORK In marquetry of polychrome marbles, decorated in the centre with a checkerboard flanked by parrots on a branch, the background in paesina, the border in yellow and green brocatelle antico marble; small accidents and restorations. Size: 117.5 × 72 cm (46 ¼ × 28 ¼ in.) An Italian specimen marble table top, 18th century, probably Florence This elegant top, characterised by a skilful blend of polychrome marbles and wide paesina bands, is a refined example of the Italian decorative arts active in Florence in the 18th century. The parrots that adorn the sides of our tray refer to the production of the Galleria de' Lavori, the famous Florentine factory founded by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany in 1588, later known as the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The general composition of these parrots can be linked to the designs of Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1626), who, from the early years of the seventeenth century, provided many of the models used by craftsmen in Florentine workshops (see Fig. 1). In this regard, we should point out that two plates decorated with parrots perched on a branch, similar to those on our tray, are kept at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence (see Fig. 2).