Créé par TOMMASO BRANCHIA DA MONDAINO Lot n° 46

Augustinian monastery refectory, from the Metropolitan Museum Central Italy (Marche, Recanati region), 1567 Walnut, cherrywood inlays Dimensions of the woodwork: H. 2.30 m, W. 23.57 m (1.93 + 2.12 + 5.95 + 2.10 + 0.87 + 2.86 + 3.48 + 4.26), D. 0.75 m Dimensions of the small table (8 drawers): H. 83 cm (with dais: 95 cm), W. 484 cm (178 + 306), D. 67.5 cm Dimensions of the large table (12 drawers): H. 80 cm (with platform: 93 cm), W. 774 cm (174 + 298 + 302), D. 69 cm Dimensions of credenza: H. 106 cm, W. 223 cm, D. 85 cm Signed on the belt of the credenza: Opificium Thomae Branchie de Mondaino Dated 1567, with an inscription engraved in gold letters on the entablature of the woodwork Coat of arms on the backs of the drawers: shield with a bretessed stripe, accompanied by three fleurs-de-lis, two and one; shield cut in 1 with a lion's chief and in 2, broaching on five pals, a chevron charged with a crescent accompanied by two stars. PROVENANCE Former Adolfo Loewi collection, Venice, 1930 Former Werner Abegg collection, acquired from the above through the Florentine antiquarian Luigi Bellini Former collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of Werner Abegg, his wife, and other benefactors through the Luigi Bellini and Figli Gallery (Florence), 1959, Acc. 60.45.1-.4 Private collection EXHIBITION Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The rarity and quality of this set of furniture from an Augustinian convent east of Florence make it a key piece in recreating the atmosphere of a large Renaissance hall, as John Goldsmith Philipps, curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, pointed out. There are very few ancient refectories left in Italian monasteries and none of such magnitude in museums around the world. This one also bears the date of its creation and the name of its creator (Letter from Mr Philipps recommending the acquisition of the refectory by the Metropolitan, at New York, October 2, 1958). The refectory ensemble in walnut and cherry wood This exceptional refectory takes the form of a paneled room with benches forming a cassapanca, two tables and a credenza, whose moulded decoration is inspired by classical architecture. The main woodwork is crowned by an entablature with an overhanging cornice, on which runs an inscription in Roman capitals, engraved and gilded. The wall, punctuated by pilasters resting on small projecting podiums, is divided into two superposed registers. Between the fluted and filleted pilasters are square panels with a double molded frame and a second level of rectangular panels around the rim. The base is made up of a seat set against the woodwork. This long bench, hinged by wrought iron hinges, was bevelled for aesthetic reasons rather than for the comfort of the monks. The ingenious system of compartmentalization of the woodwork allows the layout to be modulated since it is divided into several portions of two to six panels. The refinement of the moldings inlaid with cherry wood fillet is reflected in the treatment of the top of the two tables, which are respectively encircled by eight and twelve drawers with wooden knobs, resting on three and five fan-shaped legs. A credenza completes the ensemble. Its two wood-headed leaves, bordered by fluted pilasters, offer an elegant variation of the woodwork decoration. The date 1567 and the name of the creator engraved in gold letters in the belt confirm the high quality of the work. "Opificium Thomae Branchie de Mondaino" The multiple inscriptions engraved in gold letters allow us to better understand the context in which our refectory was built and its purpose. The identity of its creator, Tommaso Branchia de Mondaino, remains ambiguous. His name, inscribed on the credenza, indicates that he was the author of the work in 1567. He seems to have come from the town of Mondaino, in the Marches or in Emilia Romagna. Art historians have not found any trace of a sculptor, cabinetmaker or carpenter of this name in these localities. In fact, it could be the name of the client or the master builder in charge of designing the work, then supervising its execution and checking its conformity with the initial project. The word opificium is used in classical Latin by Varron in his treatise on Rural Economy to designate a job or the execution of a work. In the Middle Ages, it translates the idea of a workshop, a lodge or a "ouvroir" encompassing all at once the men, the place and the tools. It is in this medieval sense that it is still used in 1582 at the Synod of Lime, during which the Church ruled on the prohibition of clerics