A circa 1830 Roman specimen marble, antique glass and micro mosaic mahogany gueridon
Mahogany and mahogany veneer pedestal table
White marble top encrusted with samples of marbles, hard stones, antique Roman polychrome glass and a Roman micro-mosaic
Rome, Italy, first third of the 19th century
Probably by Francesco Sibilio
Total height: 77cm.
Top thickness: 4 cm.
Top diameter 94.5 cm.
Important pedestal table composed of:
- circular top in white Carrara marble inlaid with a band of “sea green” marble and 84 samples of hard stones, separated by shelves in black marble. In the center a Roman micro-mosaic representing a deer pursued by a dog, surrounded by tesserae in blue and yellow glass paste and two circles in pieces of glass: reticelli, murrina, millefiori” dating from the Hellenistic period 1st century BC. J. C – 1st ap. JC
- carved mahogany base with gadrooned belt and corolla shaft supported by an octagonal molded base.
Among the samples:
Porphyry, agate, lapis lazuli, malachite, jasper, portor marble, grand antique, brocatelle, granite, alabaster…
Some samples come from quarries that have been exhausted since antiquity, such as cipolin, red porphyry from Egypt or green porphyry from Greece and are therefore from excavations.
Our gueridon by its materials and its technique of realization is part of a series of furniture and objects produced in the first half of the 19th century in Rome under the effect of a craze for Antiquity and excavated objects. Trays of marquetry or marble samples became a specialty of Roman workshops, on the one hand thanks to the continuous arrival of ancient marbles from excavations and on the other hand thanks to wealthy and learned travelers visiting Rome in the part of the Grand Tour.
Several Roman craftsmen specialize in the manufacture of marble objects and more particularly table tops / pedestal tables inlaid with samples or marble marquetry, hard stones or micro-mosaics.
Among its artisans Francesco Sibilio specializes in the marquetry of antique glasses, the technique present on our set. He is also the first craftsman to combine antique glass tesserae with marble samples on his tops.