19th Century Italian Renaissance Carved Walnut and Velvet Sgabello Hall Chair

$2,200

About

Decorate a hallway with this well carved antique Sgabello chair. Crafted of walnut in Venice, Italy circa 1880, the chair stands on heavily carved legs decorated with acanthus leaves and ending with paw feet. The center is decorated with grotesque mask faces and swag motif over a scalloped shape seat embellished with gadroon carved frieze molding and a red velvet seat dressed with brass nail heads. The unique curved back with a mask figure at the pediment, is heavily ornate with sculptural and symbolic carvings, including a pair of cheerful putti faces and gargoyle and leaf decor; the back is further upholstered with a rouge velvet and decorative nailheads. The Venetian chair is in excellent condition with a rich walnut patina and extraordinary carvings throughout. Known as Sgabelli ( from the Latin word Scabellum meaning stool), a Scabello is a type of chair typical of the Italian Renaissance; it was usually made of walnut and included a variety of carvings and turned elements. This king of exuberant backstool was often placed in hallways, carved with a family’s crest or emblem drawn from its coat-of-arms. Its primary purpose was decorative, therefore the seat was not necessarily comfortable without adding a cushion. Measures: 16″W x 18″D x 47.5″H.

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