Lot 1507 Dα

Since ancient times, people have been fascinated by coloured and precious stones. Hidden deep in the earth and often encased in an unpretentious mantle, they must be painstakingly brought to light and uncovered to reveal their magic. Extraordinary marbles have been extracted from Italian quarries since ancient times. But in the 16th century, the increase in maritime and land-based trade brought additional precious stones to Italy. Cosimo I de' Medici and his son Francesco were also passionate stone collectors. Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici (1549 - 1609) finally decided to establish the first large-scale stone-working workshop, the Galleria dei Lavori in Pietre Dure, which began operations in 1588. The Grand Duke hired local craftsmen who specialized in restoring ancient objects carved in stone and making contemporary inlaid pictures in coloured stone to adorn furniture and wall panelling in the modern taste.
Artists trained in this workshop travelled throughout Europe to work for other noble or royal households. In turn, Northern Europeans visited the Galleria dei Lavori on the Grand Tour, buying and commissioning objects adorned with or made from pietre dure. In the mid-18th century, the workshop was renamed Opificio delle Pietre Dure and still exists today as a state-subsidized institution.