Florentine cabinet, 17th century

Florentine "Stipo monetiere" cabinet, rectangular quadrilateral shape, veneered with American ebony; the latter includes natural light parts, which contributes to its originality. The top and sides are squared with rectangles. The peripheral face is threaded with bone inlay. All resting on six small runners. The theater opens with fourteen oak-glazed layettes (drawers), two of which are concealed, organized around an Ionic temple, from which emerge a balustraded balcony, a doorway punctuated with pilasters and monumental columns, entirely veneered with fillets, flowers and foliage in bone inlay on an ebony background, and ivory knobs for the layettes.
The central door conceals a small box with four superimposed drawers with stained moldings on a light Cuban mahogany base.
Ownership mark "L R" in ink on the back.
17th-century Italian work from Florence. High-quality workmanship in perfect condition. From a source of inspiration that is still very much Renaissance, the cabinet, a piece of furniture for precious objects, has itself become a jewel, enveloped in mystery. It was the most fashionable piece of furniture in the 17th century. More a palace than a fortress, the cabinet imitates the facades of buildings to better conceal its drawers and secret hiding places. The cabinet shown here is similar to the one in the "Alexander Loeser Donation" at the Palazzo Vecchio Museum in Florence, Quartiere del Mezzanino room . Dimensions: 79.5 x 28.5 H 40 cm