Mantelpiece. Turin, Early XVIII Century

Our mantelpiece re-proposes a model widespread in Piedmont in the late 17th and early 18th century, found in several Piedmontese “Palazzi”, such as Palazzo Turinetti in Turin. In particular, the three-lobed central part and the lateral pilasters formed by mirror pilasters set at an angle to create projecting elements are characteristic features of this type. The richly carved cymatium is also present in these examples, in some cases supporting a frame that houses a painting, as in the case of a mirror in a private collection published by Roberto Antonetto, with the effigy of Duke Victor Amadeus II.
In this furniture, the cabinetmaker’s virtue emerges in the quality of execution, in the interlocking of the drawers and in the skilful use of mahogany feathers, but above all in the refinement of the carving, a distinctive feature of his production.