Sotheby's

2004 · 153692 — Roma Rome Italy: Sotheby's 2004. Softcover. VG- Head of slipcase is slightly torn at edges; otherwise pristine. 2 vols. Mahogany & illus. wraps 476 total pp. lavishly illus. in color; 4 fold-outs; kept in mahongany & color illus. board slipcase. Majority of text is in Italian with some English. A two-volume set issued in conjunction with a 2004 auction of exquisite decorative arts items from a residence in Rome. An opening description reads in translation: Formed in the final thirty years of the last century this collection has two souls which are presented in distinct volumes. On the one hand hundreds of small objects sought out one by one and displaying the divouring sic and almost-manic passion that has fed this collection in a perpetual 'hunt' for the testimonies of the past: bronzes ivories antique marbles micromosaics mortars brocades medals automata frames books momento mori heraldic emblems scientific beakers decorative glass sacred and profane objects . all arranged together in a type of 'Cabinet of Curiosities' a topical and personal interpretation of those 'studioli' and 'stanze delle meraviglie' of past centuries. On the other hand one compares the fascination of the magnificent renaissance burr walnut cupboards; the carved baroque gilt-wood frames and mirrors; and the eighteenth-century gilt-bronze mounted inlaid commodes that resound with the unique lavishness of the Roman palaces that once contained them. These furnishings span three centuries of the history of Italian particularly Roman sculpture and furniture. Lavish indeed. Sotheby's paperback books