set of six plates, 17th century italian work, probably florence In hard stone marquetry, depicting various animals such as fox, bear, ewe, leopard, monkey and wolf, the black marble background surrounded by a yellow Sienna marble border, in later ebony frames. Size (unframed): 9.5 × 12.5 cm (3 ¾ × 5 in.) Comparative bibliography: A. Giusti, La Marqueterie des Pierres Dures, Citadelles & Mazenod, Paris, 2005, pp. 138-139, fig. 138. A set of six Italian 17th century pietra dura and marble panels, probably Florence This set of hardstone panels (lots 61 and 62), dating from the 17th century, can be attributed to the Galleria de' Lavori, the famous Florentine factory founded by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany in 1588 and later known as the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Our plaques are made using the commesso technique, which involves assembling hard stones of various shapes, colours and sizes, then applying them to a marble background to simulate the effects of a painting. They bear precious witness to the craze for exotic animals in the decorative arts in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lions, camels and elephants were described by explorers, then reproduced in engravings, before being reinterpreted by artists who were quick to incorporate them into the decorative arts. The typology and anatomical characteristics of the animal subjects illustrated in our series are similar to those found in important 17th-century Florentine cabinets, such as the example sold at Christie's London, Exceptional Sale, on 13 October 2021, lot 2, or the one sold at Christie's London, on 23 July 2020, lot 42. *Information for buyers: If you are leaving the EU, you may need to obtain a CITES re-export permit, which is the responsibility of the future buyer. *Information to the buyers : For an exit from the EU, a CITES re-export certificate will be necessary, at the buyer's expense.