Italian Pietra Dura Plaque of a Bird, Florence (Il Mosaico di Firenze) Vintage

Italian Pietra Dura Plaque of a Bird, Florence (Il Mosaico di Firenze) VintageItem: Italian Pietra Dura Plaque of a Bird, Florence (Il Mosaico di Firenze) Additional Description Fine Italian pietra dura (pietre dure) hardstone mosaic depicting a small bird perched upon a branch, composed from carefully cut and fitted semi precious stones against a polished black stone background. The plaque is housed in its original ebonized and giltwood frame and retains multiple labels verso from the Florentine workshop and gallery where it

Materials: Hand-carved wood with remnants of original polychrome paint

Surviving examples are now sought after by collectors

These two plates together form a cohesive diptych-like image that would have originally depicted the biblical moment when Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive the Son of God

Provenance

or collector’s cabinet

No active worming observed

Marked to the underside “Wallace

they are appreciated for their industrial-heritage character and crossover appeal

Early 19th C Grand Tour souvenir box - Likely English or Italian

The gilt holder features repeating arched motifs and decorative pierced panels in the Louis XVI revival taste

while the lower register incorporates stylized dolphin or fantastical sea-creature motifs—elements commonly found in Baroque and Renaissance revival design

interior wear