Pair of 19th Century Italian Renaissance Carved Walnut Sgabello Hall Chairs

$3,600

About

Decorate a hallway with this important pair of antique Sgabello chairs. Crafted in Italy circa 1860, each Renaissance stool has a back which first made an appearance in Renaissance Italy. The backs are heavily ornate with sculptural and symbolic carvings. The deeply carved surfaces seen on these chairs recall the time when the inside of a home was illuminated only by the natural light cast by a blazing fire and flaming candles. This kind of light casts dramatic shadows and lends itself to sculptural carving. The tall and removable back features a stylized crown shape at the pediment. There’s a center crest medallion flanked with two female figures on each side and adorned with swag decor. The carved legs have scroll motifs including a face sculpture in the center, which is flanked with shell and foliage motifs. The chairs are in excellent condition with a rich walnut patina, with one chair a bit darker than the other.
A sgabello is a type of stool typical of the Italian Renaissance. Sgabelli was typically made of walnut and included a variety of carvings and turned elements. The legs could be either two decorated boards with a stretcher for support, or three separate ornamented and carved impost legs. This seat was often placed in hallways, carved with a family’s imprese or emblem drawn from its coat-of-arms. Its primary purpose was decorative, therefore the seat was not necessarily comfortable.
Measures: 14.5″ W x 16.5″ D x 44.5″ H.

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