Tortoiseshell case with coral bedside, Trapani, late 18th - early 19th century

Enclosed in a (probably later) rectangular case, entirely panelled in tortoiseshell (Cheloniidae spp.) with silver foil applications depicting winged putti, we find an oblong octagonal-shaped bedside table.
The rich composition is placed on a punched gilded copper foil and is centred around the devotional figure of the Immaculata placed on the crescent moon and depicted with her hands joined on her breast.
The valuable work of art is characterised by a rich decoration divided into several sections with phytomorphic motifs of acanthus leaves and mother-of-pearl flowers alternating with flowers and stems. The chromatic rendering of the bedside is also enhanced by coral grain panels delimiting the various registers.
This interesting bedside is typical of what was Trapani's production in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, when the mass production of Mediterranen coral (corallium rubrum) balls, olivettes, small ashlars and commas of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries led to works of higher artistic value such as sculptures and compositions, often characterised by a rich architectural setting. When coral began to become rarer towards the end of the 18th century, Trapani sculptors turned to other materials such as ivory, bone and mother-of-pearl, and symptoms of the decline of the red material began to be felt, which was becoming increasingly scarce until it almost disappeared.

Item condition grading: **** good, restorations, lacks and replacements (new silver application nails)