![Samples in Sicilian marbles and jasper, last quarter of the 18th century. The samples, 61 x 95.5 cm (single tile, 5.7 x 5.7 cm). The table, length 81 cm, width 111 cm, depth 80 cm. Lot 87 [detail]. Photo © Wannenes](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/d675678b-dedd-49cb-b1f5-86f2771131ca_Cover.jpg?auto=format,compress)
Wonder and joyful creativity are just two of the many emotions triggered among the lots offered by Wannenes during the Italian auction house’s Furniture Ceramics Sculptures and Objects of Art auction on 16 and 17 March.
The undisputed star of the catalogue is a table arranged in a chequerboard pattern from the last quarter of the eighteenth century, with a sample of 160 jasper and Sicilian marble tiles. The fashion for the reuse of ancient blocks and fragments of marble is linked to the Grand Tour – that is, to the cultural journeys that the European aristocracy undertook from the 17th century and which usually had Italy as a destination.
The exquisite table is the perfect example of what many scholarly travellers aspired to collect and embellish in their Wunderkammer. It is made even more rare by the sliding tablette hidden under the top, which shows all the types and origins of every single marble piece, together with the inscription: “Pietre molle e nobili esistenti nel Regno di Sicilia” (Soft and noble stones existing in the Kingdom of Sicily).
Also noteworthy for its unquestionable charm is a refined table candlestick in various woods from the mid-19th century, attributable to the carver Antonio Rossi (1805 -1880), as indicated on the paper label below the base, stopped by two stamps sealing wax. Rossi was a leading figure in the artistic panorama of Siena around the mid-19th century and was inspired by the works of two of the most interesting Italian artists and architects of the 18th and 19th centuries, fellow countryman Agostino Fantastici (Montalcino, 1782 -Siena, 1845) and the brilliant Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Mogliano Veneto, 1720-Rome, 1778).
Lots 89-118 of the auction come from the collection of a noble Italian family. Among them is an extremely delicate sculpture in Carrara marble depicting ‘Love and Fidelity’, made by the sculptor Odoardo Fantacchiotti (Rome, 1811-Florence, 1877). He was a progenitor of one of the most important Florentine sculpture workshops, as well as a prominent exponent of 19th-century Italian monumentalism. The work, which was commissioned by His Royal Highness the Prince of Carignano, expresses grace and serenity. It features a delightful cupid resting gently on the dog, while the faithful four-legged friend almost seems to wrap the cherub’s body, watching over him so that no one can disturb his sleep. The sculpture works to convey the silence and stillness of the scene.
Lots 172-500, which will be presented in the second round of Wannenes’ auction, feature the Cartoni Collection. Clemente Cartoni was a famous Roman milliner of the ‘Dolce Vita’ years, famous in particular for his creation of hats. In addition to being evidence of a design of extraordinary creativity, his hats represented true works of art, both changing and subjective. They were flexible moving sculptures, which translated the milliner's interest in antiques into an inimitable accessory. In fact, Cartoni combined his passion for fashion with that for antiques, of which he was a great and recognised collector. The collection in this catalogue is the result of this passion and represents a lifetime in search of beauty.
Here we point out, in particular, a pair of small frames in carved and gilded wood from the 17th century, and a pair of large friezes in carved, lacquered and gilded wood from the 17th-18th century with cherub. Also worth highlighting, in lot 357, the putto is wrapped in a rich naturalistic ornament with curled volutes, while in the wooden frames of lot 296 (pictured above), the square shape with ebonised profile inside is decorated with a rich naturalistic branch and floral openwork, and the cymatium is centred by cartouche with heraldic arms and a cardinal's hat.
The third round of the auction has a section dedicated to European ceramics. Included are three lots belonging to one of the great (as well as among the most luxurious and famous) services, decorated with the motif of the views of the most beautiful Neapolitan landscapes (and of other cities of the Kingdom), made by the court of Naples at the Ferdinandea Royal Manufacture. The lots in question are numbers 525-527; the plates are decorated with a View of Naples and Vesuvius from the Ponte della Maddalena (lot 525), and a view of the gates of Bari (lot 526), while the covered plate with the pinecone grip is embellished with cameos and the inscription ‘Museo Farnesiana’ (lot 527).
The service is defined ‘Farnesiana’ for its frieze with cameo medallions and the inscription Museo Farnesiana, and stands out for its great attention paid to the elaboration of forms, as well as its quality of views. Various sources used are the ‘Voyage Pittoresque’ of the abbot of Saint Non (1781-86), the ‘Campi Phlegraei’ of Sir William Hamilton (1776), up to the various collections of engravings, starting from 1750, which illustrated a vast choice of archaeological or monumental views.
As a reminder, Wannenes’ Furniture Ceramics Sculptures and Objects of Art auction will take place on 16 and 17 March 2021, by telephone and via online bidding.
