Circular top for coffee table. Italy, first half of the twentieth century.

Circular top for coffee table. Italy, first half of the twentieth century.
Marble and hard stones.
Measurements: 80 cm (diameter) x 2,5 cm (thickness).

Circular table top made of marble and hard stones whose design is inspired by Italian models of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The hard stone decoration is arranged all over the tabletop, from bands emulating precious stone cabochons to the center, which features a bird perched on a branch. The technique known as "labora of hard stones" is a type of inlay that uses colored marbles and hard stones and was born in Florence. Thanks to the efforts of Piero de Medici and Lorenzo the Magnificent to revitalize and update a mosaic technique, called "opus sectile" used in ancient Rome. In the 17th century France was the first court to show a clear interest in the hard stone technique, establishing centers among which the Gobelins factory stood out. In Italy, the Royal workshop of Naples stood out, which took over from Florence when the Medici disappeared. Charles III in Spain brought several foreign masters with the intention of organizing a workshop, which was installed in the Royal site of El Buen Retiro. Stylistically there was a great variety of decorative motifs, although from 1600 there was a clear preference for natural aesthetic patterns to which other zoomorphic motifs were added over time.