Tuesday 4 June 2024
An Italian specimen marble and micromosaic table,Attributed to Giacomo Raffaelli, early 19th...
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An Italian specimen marble and micromosaic table,
Attributed to Giacomo Raffaelli, early 19th...
Price Realised: £62,640
Estimate: £25,000 - £35,000
Price realised is hammer price plus fees (31.2% Buyers Premium inclusive of VAT).
Lot 159
Description
An Italian specimen marble and micromosaic table,
Attributed to Giacomo Raffaelli, early 19th century, the base late 19th century,
The white marble top inset with a central circular micromosaic depicting a chaffinch guarding its nest of eggs from an inquisitive mouse, surrounded by one hundred and sixty radiating specimens arranged in concentric tapering bands edged in Marmo Nero, samples include: porfido verde serpentino antico, Egyptian alabaster, porphyry, black granite, labradorite, amazonite, rhodonite, bloodstone, malachite, lapis lazuli, amethyst and various jaspers and agates, within a verde antico border on a Regency style polychrome decorated faux marble base with triform foliate scroll supports, overall - 74.5cm high, 134cm diameter; the micromosaic - 26.3cm diameter
Literature: Anna Maria Massinelli, Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836), Maestro di stile e di mosaic, Florence, 2018, pp.230-231, pp. 297-298, figs. 256 a, b, 353, 354.
Lot Footnotes
Note: Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836) trained as a sculptor and painter but by 1775 he was already known for his work in micromosaic, a medium which he is credited with advancing. Through the work of the chemist Alessio Mattiloi, Raffaelli was able to create tiny tesserae made from spun enamel of extremely fine quality which allowed for the creation of complex compositions. Working from both his studio in the Piazza di Spagna and the Vatican workshops in Rome, his gallery became a place of pilgrimage for sophisticated European aristocrats on their Grand Tour.
Following the French occupation of Rome in 1797, Raffaelli transferred his workshop to the Milanese Court of Eugene Bonaparte. However, the collapse of the Court in Milan saw Raffaelli return to Rome between 1815-20, and set up his flourishing workshop in the via del Babuino.
Alongside his intricate and acclaimed micromosaics, Raffaelli was also fascinated with the mineral world and was a highly accomplished lapidary artist, using sophisticated combinations of marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, amethyst and malachite to create stunning table tops. The present lot can be almost certainly be attributed to Raffaelli combining as it does his genius in the techniques of both micromosaic and hardstone in a beautiful, harmonious design.
The central circular scene in the micromosaic of the present lot with a chaffinch guarding its nest of eggs from a mouse can be directly compared with one of a pair of panels by Raffaelli sold by Sotheby’s, Pelham, The Public and the Private, 8 March 2016, lot 142, with provenance to Hamilton Palace, showing an identical scene alongside a second panel with a goldfinch and a serpent. Further comparisons can also be drawn to a plaque in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, and another in the Palazzo Borromeo, Borromeo Islands. In all three of these panels the tree is lacking a further trunk on the far left which is part of the design of the present lot. In addition, there is an inkwell in the Wallace Collection, London, which includes a medallion of the same picture but lacking the nest of eggs. Close examination reveals in all these examples, including the present lot, Raffaelli’s trademark device to outline his birds and animals with white, rectilinear tesserae.
The rich range of specimen marbles in the present lot can be compared with a table by Raffaelli sold Sotheby’s, Kentshire, New York, 18 October 2014, lot 156, with provenance to The Hon. John and Lady Augusta Kennedy-Erskine; and also a table at Trinity College, Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum (Massinelli op.cit p. 298). A further table, not fully attributed to Raffaelli, is at Ickworth House, Suffolk, and displays the same arrangement of specimen marbles surrounding a central micromosaic of The Doves of Pliny (NT 850351). The outer border with a band of verde antico marble in both the Kennedy-Erskine and Ickworth House table tops are identical to the present lot.
While the base of the current table appears to be a later association, the ornamental scheme of the top combining a stunning lapidary palette with the intricate micromosaic can be attributed to the distinctive production of Raffaelli.
Fees & VAT
Buyer's Premium
The buyer shall pay the hammer price together with a premium thereon of 26% up to £20,000 (31.2% inclusive of VAT), 25% from £20,001 - £500,000 (30% inclusive of VAT), 20% from £500,001 thereafter (24% inclusive of VAT). The premium price is subject to VAT at the standard rate.
VAT
VAT is not charged on the hammer price unless it is stated that there is 'VAT applicable on the hammer price at the end of the description. Buyer's premium is subject to VAT.(ARR) - ARTIST'S RESALE RIGHT
Qualifying living artists and the descendants of artists deceased within the last 70 years are entitled to receive a re-sale royalty each time their work is bought through an auction house or art market professional.
It applies to lots with hammer value over £1,000 as follows:
0 to £50,000 - 4%
£50,000.01 to £200,000 - 3%
£200,000.01 to £350,000 - 1%
£350,000.01 to £500,000 - 0.5%
Exceeding £500,000 - 0.25%
ARR is capped at £12,500
Please note ARR is calculated in euros. Auctioneers will apply current exchange rates.
Export of goods
Buyers intending to export goods should ascertain whether an export licence is required before bidding. Export licences are issued by Arts Council England and application forms can be obtained from its Export Licensing Unit. Details can be found on the ACE website www.artscouncil.org.uk or by phoning ACE on 020 7973 5188. The need for import licences varies from country to country and you should acquaint yourself with all relevant local requirements and provisions before bidding. The refusal of any such licences shall not permit the cancelling of any sale nor allow any delay in making full payment for the lot.
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