Pietra Dura Box

 An interesting small Italian box of great quality has just come into stock, Sarcophagus in shape and with an ebony frame and inset with panels of "Pietra Dura", Italian "Hard Rocks" or stones. The black marble has inset cut pieces of stone in the shapes of flowers, each of the five panels in the box is different and hand made. The moulded ebony frame with a hinged lid and sitting on four turned ebony bun feet.

Pietra Dura Sarcophugus shaped box with a hinged lid

Pietra Dura dates back to Roman times , used in floors and pillars in Italy through out the middle ages. Florence is where it was developed and in 1588 Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany opened the Galleria di'Lavori one of the finest workshops of the Italian Renaissance where workman used the precious and semiprecious stone to make table tops and panels, jardinieres, garden ornaments and artifacts. In the 19th century Naples became a centre for the work but over the years it has declined and the skill is used today mainly for restoration of old pieces 

The interior with panels of boxwood holding each stone plaque in place

 


Graham Smith Antiques has been established for 14 years but Graham has been in the antiques business for 40 years. We trade on line and from showrooms on the edge of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and all  the items shown on the website are available to view at the show rooms where they are set out in four room settings - for ease of viewing. As long time members of LAPADA [the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers], the UK's largest trade association for professional art and antiques dealers, we want all our customers to be confident to buy from us on line or in person and make every effort to make each sale a pleasure.  Please take some time to read our Testimonials page which can be found on the home page of our website.