A George I seaweed marquetry cabinet on stand. England, ca 1715. © 2012 MALLETT ANTIQUES

tulipwood and pietre dure cabinet, the rectangular top with moulded edge, above an arrangement of eight drawers inset with pietre dure plaques depicting animals and fruit, centering a door decorated with a marquetry lion, opening to reveal further drawers decorated with seaweed marquetry. H: 57.1 in (145.0 cm). W: 37.0 in (94.0 cm). L/D: 21.3 in (54.0 cm)

Provenance: The late Colonel and Mrs Julian Berry, son of the 1st Viscount Camrose of Hackwood Park, of the Old Rectory, Tunworth, Hampshire.

The panels of pietre dure probably originating from the Grand Ducal studio in Florence, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, founded in 1588. The technique of working in pietre dure, the Italian term for hard or semi-precious stones such as agate, chalcedony, jaspar and lapis lazuli was developed in ancient Rome and revived in Rennaissance Italy, especially in Milan and Florence. The stones were cut to form pictures, either flat or in relief, to be used in the decoration of cabinets or table tops.

The marquetry decoration is composed of walnut and geometrically shaped panels of woods such as holly or box, somewhat recalling the patterns of seaweed. http://www.mallettantiques.com