653. Ferdinando Pogliani. Desk from the 19th century in the Neo-Renaissance style.

Ferdinando Pogliani (Milano, 1832 - Milano, 1899). A stunning Neo-Renaissance ebony desk with grotesque ivory and tortoiseshell inlays. It is a magnificent authors interpretation of the Renaissance era by the outstanding Milanese furniture maker Fardinando Poliani. Having gained fame as geniuses of the renaissance. Winner of many European awards. Supplier to the court of Napoleon III. A two-level rectangular table with folding panels, on truncated pyramidal legs, with a carved stiffening board and spherical supports under the legs. Skillfully recreates the businesslike archaism of forms and the elegant richness of decor. The geometric principle of organizing decor suggests an ingenious unity of squares, rectangles, rhombuses, and triangles in a symmetrical ensemble of tabletops. Against a dark background, ornate garlands with fancy animals, triangles of flowerpots and a central panel with a bone-engraved scene of love voyeurism behind the nymphs’ toilet are perfectly readable. The color of the composition is given by turtle elements scattered around the entire perimeter of the product. Allegorical scenes on the folding panels and stiffening boards enhance the atmosphere of sublime heroism. Thus, in the round medallions of the additional doors there are figures of a young naked man and an old warrior, who, wrapped in a cloak, warms himself by a smoking brazier. In the middle, on the board of rigidity, a young drinker is gracefully depicted sitting on a barrel of wine, which probably means the triumph of current life between the zeal of youth and the wisdom of old age. A worthy piece of furniture art by Italian craftsmen of the 19th century. Table dimensions. 68x78x48 cm. When opened, the length of the tabletop is 116 cm.