Antique ITALIAN Milanese INLAID and PENWORK EBONISED Secretary writing DESK. A LATE 19TH CENTURY fine desk Attributed to FERDINANDO POGLIANI of Milan Italy with possible Ivory in lays. Measurements 42 inches wide x 43 inches height x 21 inches depth. A drop front desk with four small drawers and large frieze drawer underneath.About the subject inlays: Possibly after cherub in the Fountain of Neptune, Piazza Navona in Rome Italy. A Mythical Creature, Fountain of Neptune (1574) designed by Giacomo della Porta on Piazza Navona Square in the Historic District of Rome Italy. OR A putto in Italian is a figure in a work of art depicted as a Cherub or a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism, the putto came to represent a sort of baby angel in religious art, often called cherubs (plural cherubim), though in traditional Christian theology a cherub is actually one of the most senior types of angel. Possibly depicts the mythological story of the kidnapping of Europa by the god Zeus disguised as a bull. A highly detailed workmanship and a superb inlay work from the possibly the workshops of Ferdinando POGLIANI (1832-1899). Pogliani was an Italian artist cabinetmaker from Milan, to whom we owe important Neo-Renaissance creations from the period of Eclecticism, in the second half of the 19th century.He worked with his sons Paul (1870-1913), specializing in sculpture, Giuseppe (1866-1900), responsible for the architectural design of furniture, and Carlo (1866-1932), specializing in marquetry.His workshops, located in Porta Vittoria and via Montenapoleone, were renowned for the quality of work of woodcut, marquetry and inlay. In the Neo-Renaissance style, he found ample scope for expressing these skills. Indeed, this style allowed for richly carved decoration of characters in costume, gadroons and fantastic animals, as well as hard stone inlays and precious materials like ivory or marble. In addition, he used exotic wood inlays on an ebony background.Adopting the Neo-Renaissance style also meant working in the Italian tradition of the luxurious creations of 16th and 17th century Florence, renowned throughout the world.Pogliani also gained an international reputation thanks to the World's Fairs , especially those of Milan in 1871 and 1881, Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia in 1876, Paris in 1878 and Turin in 1884 and 1898. His sponsors included, among others, Emperor Napoleon III.

Generally Good & solid Used condition with imperfections to the surface of the desk.Some inlay imperfections, and age crackle to to legs. All in all a rare solid 19th century desk from Milan Italy. We are selling all lots on As Is basis. Please see all the images posted online. For in Person Inspections, Please attend our show room during preview hours before the auction or examine all the images posted online and read descriptions + conditions of our sale. Please email us your condition questions before placing your bid & before the sale begins.