PXL_20240329_231626082

Cabinet: French (Paris), about 1808

Plaques and roundels: Italian, 1650-late 1700s
Cabinet attributed to Adam Weisweiler (1744-1820, master 1778)

Oak veneered with ebony and mahogany; pewter stringing; pietra dura (hard stone) plaques and micromosaic roundels;
gilt-bronze mounts; marble top

Art connoisseurs since the Renaissance valued naturally colorful hard stones, especially when assembled like puzzle pieces to form images. As plaques, they were avidly acquired and set into boxes or furniture, as seen here. The durability of the stones meant such plaques could be transferred to new settings as tastes and fashions changed. This cabinet, made later as a companion piece to the one on view nearby, is decorated with plaques and roundels. The little roundels, mounted at the cabinet’s center, portray popular tourist sites in Italy. The one at left shows the ancient Pyramid of Cestius, which still stands in Rome today.