19th Century Italian Renaissance Carved Walnut Sgabello Hall Chair with Putti

$2,200

About

Decorate a hallway with this well carved antique Sgabello chair. Crafted of walnut in Venice, Italy circa 1860, the chair stands on heavily carved and scrolled legs ending with grotesque mask faces. The center is decorated with a gargoyle figure and flanked with fruit motifs over a round shape seat embellished with gadroon carved frieze molding and incised foliage motifs. The unique curved back with canted edges, is heavily ornate with sculptural and symbolic carvings, including a pair of cheerful putti siting on lion heads and holding a fruit basket, with floral and leaf decor. 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: 20″ W x 22″ D x 48.5″ H.

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