Italian Ebonized Wood Armchair With Inlays – 19th Century

Elegant ebonized wood armchair with bone inlay, Italian work from the second half of the 19th century, probably Florentine.

The shaped backrest is surmounted by a carved mask framed by scrolls and foliage. Its central panel is richly decorated with bone inlays depicting leafy scrolls, flowers and fantastical motifs.

At the centre is a particularly interesting heraldic medallion: an oval shield bearing six bezants or balls, surmounted by a crown and flanked by two fantastical female figures. This composition recalls the heraldic and decorative vocabulary of the Florentine Renaissance, particularly that associated with the Medici family.

The curved armrests terminate in two large, carved fantastical heads. The inlaid decoration continues along the sides of the armchair, with delicate branches, foliage and floral motifs.

The seat is bordered with bone stringing and decorated with a symmetrical composition of scrolls, flowers and foliage arranged around a central fleur-de-lis.

The shaped front stretcher is also adorned with delicate inlaid branches and foliage. At its centre is a small bone cartouche clearly inscribed with the Latin word “LIBERTAS” (“Liberty”).

The armchair is characteristic of the 19th-century Italian Neo-Renaissance taste, drawing upon the ornamental and heraldic vocabulary of the Renaissance.

Origin: Italy, probably Florence
Period: Second half of the 19th century
Style: Neo-Renaissance
Materials: Ebonized wood and bone inlays
Decoration: Scrollwork, floral motifs, fleur-de-lis, fantastical figures and heraldic medallion
Inscription: “LIBERTAS” on the front stretcher

Condition: Good overall condition, with patina and signs of wear consistent with age. A few minor losses to the inlay, which do not detract from the overall appearance of the armchair. Please refer to the detailed photographs.