19th Century Italian Renaissance Style Wood Lacquer and Painted Gesso Lidded Box

This beautiful 19th century Florentine rectangular lidded box is entirely decorated in the round with all typical Renaissance Italian patterns. The white hand painted and lacquer wooden structure centered by a large blue painted band is worked with the ancient Scagliola technique. Rosettes, garlands, leaf motifs, acanthus leaves and naturalistic elements are handmade with lacquered plaster. Low relief gesso medallions depicting women's profiles embellish each side of the box. A band of gray beads finishes the lower part in a very elegant way. The lid's top is decorated with geometric patterns and has a scrolled garland-shaped handle. This quite large case opens to reveal the covered interior lined with light blue fabric. The entire on finely carved pine cone shaped feet with stylized acanthus leaf inlays. This antique hand carved and painted casket is a jewel in its own right. It will grace any vanity or dressing table, perfect as a centre piece on a console table or chest of drawer can be used both as a jewelry box and as sewing box. A stylish and highly decorative gift for yourself or one of yours beloved one. The box has an amazing original patina, is in perfect structural condition, the fabric inside is in perfect condition. Minor wear on lacquer gesso all genuine signs of honest age and fair use, all shown in the pictures. Scagliola is a technique for producing table tops, sculptures and other architectural elements or decorative objects that resemble inlays in marble and semi-precious stones. The first examples of Scagliola were created in Roman times from selenite, which derives from a gypsum stone found in Italy’s Apennine Mountains. Italian monks honed the technique in the 17th century. Measures: W. 35, D. 20, H. 25 cm.