RARE Italian Renaissance CASSAPANCA with certosina... Lot 32

RARE Italian Renaissance CASSAPANCA with certosina decoration Florence, 16th century Walnut, coloured wood inlays Good condition H. 172 cm, W. 174 cm, D. 57 cm This monumental bench-coffin, known as a cassapanca, is crowned by a richly decorated entablature. The cornice at the top is carved with glyphs with lunules underlined by dentils and crowns the architrave separated by a fillet of ovals and a string of fusaroles of the inlaid backsplash. The frieze of palmettes flanked by two metopes centered by a knob each is supported by two fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals between which runs a band of marquetry drawing a trellis motif in perspective. The triptych back presents a large median panel with successive frames - an inlaid band decorated with lozenges, a double molding frame and two light wood fillets. The two narrower side panels are bordered with pearl motifs and trimmed with a deep, feint frame. The whole piece rests on a finely molded belt. The seat, whose flap opens into a trunk, has five cut sides. The main side uses the same decorative vocabulary as the upper parts - moulded glyph frieze, bands inlaid with pearls, lozenges and small stars. This meticulous work of marquetry, called certosina, consists of inlaying small pieces of wood to form friezes of geometric motifs and ornamental filleting. Requiring great patience, it was originally practiced by Carthusian monks living in seclusion according to the precepts of St. Bruno before spreading to art workshops, particularly among Florentine markers who competed with the monastic order in dexterity and refinement. Giovanni di Michele (active in Florence, 1440-1452), who was commissioned by Tommaso di Leonardo Spinelli, Eugene's financial master IV, to make the furniture for the Franciscan convent Santa Croce, comes to mind. 3The stalls still in the sacristy have the same type of dentilled crown as our cassapanca, and the backrest is also framed by fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals (fig. 1). In the sixteenth century, wide benches with certosina decoration gained favor with the wealthy clientele of northern Italy. The same trellis-like inlays can be seen on these benches, which are accompanied by finely carved ornamental friezes of classical inspiration (Fig. 2). On the one from the Morando castle Bolognini, the monumentality of the architectural backrest is, as here, accentuated by the refinement of the pearl motifs that frame the smooth panels (fig. 3).