Stipo; Italy, Lombardy, c. 1880.

Stipo; Italy, Lombardy, c. 1880.
Ebonized riparian wood, marquetry, bone, pyrography.
Presents restorations.
Signed G. Bertini Fec it Milao.
Measurements: 140 x 107 x 52 cm.
This type, made in Italy, probably in Lombardy around 1880, is a refined cabinet that combines utilitarian function and decorative value. Made of ebonized riparian wood and enriched with marquetry, bone applications and pyro-engraved details, it has a complex structure composed of a main body with drawers and a stepped superstructure crowned by a curvilinear top. The contrast between the dark background of the ebonized wood and the delicate light ornamental motifs, formed by vegetal scrolls, geometric frames and small decorative panels, generates a richly worked surface that highlights the technical skill of the cabinetmaker.
The stipo is a type of cabinet characteristic of the Italian tradition since the Renaissance, conceived as a small cabinet for storing documents, precious objects or collector's items. Its design usually adopts a miniature architectural form, organized by means of drawers, compartments and small doors that evoke facades or altarpieces. During the 19th century, at the height of the historicist taste, Italian workshops recovered these antique models, reinterpreting them with great technical virtuosity to satisfy the interest of collectors and the bourgeoisie in furniture inspired by styles of the past.