Italian ebonized wood and tortoiseshell coin cabinet, Lombard-Venetian, 18th century

Height x width x depth: 86 x 111 x 36 cm.

ebonized wooden coin cabinet, with an oak structure, inlaid with tortoiseshell (hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, Cheloniidae), and resting on claw and ball feet.
The cabinet’s architecture features a tripartite front richly veneered in turtle shell, with a central door designed in an architectural style, adorned with columns supporting an entablature. This central door is flanked by four drawers on each side, with divided fronts, equipped with original locks and decorated with gilt bronze keyhole escutcheons. At the center, the columns frame a depiction of the Virgin Mary.
The central compartment conceals an additional five drawers with rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) fronts, lion-head handles, and a geometric border decoration framing the edges.
The quality of the turtle shell surfaces suggests high-level craftsmanship, with a vibrant chromatic effect due to the tonal variations typical of this material. The sides are inlaid with geometric motifs and fitted with wrought iron handles. The upper section features a finely decorated railing topped with spheres, upon which perch bird figures.

This lot is accompanied by expertise issued by the Ce.S.Ar. Centro Studi Archeometrici.