Open Work Italian Corner Cabinet, 18th Century

An extraordinary example of Italian decorative ingenuity, this corner cabinet is conceived as a stage for display — whether of porcelain, silverware, or objets d’art. Of inventive Baroque character, the pierced panels are lacquered and painted in rich polychrome, enlivened with masks, flowers, and cornucopias of fruit, creating a sense of theatre and abundance. The structure rises on five graduated shelves, each backed with moiré silk, which provides a sumptuous foil to the vivid painted decoration.

At once architectural and ornamental, the cabinet is as versatile as it is striking: a flourish in a dining room, a conversational piece in a library, or an atmospheric presence in a sitting room. Remarkably well-preserved for its age, it remains in very good condition and retains the vibrancy of its painted surface. Both sculptural and functional, it is a rare survivor that embodies the exuberant spirit of 18th-century Italian design.