17th Century Furniture (part 9 of 31)

Florentine Cabinet
This wooden cabinet, now antique furniture, produced at the Grand Ducal Workshops in Florence, has pietra dura panels depicting mythological scenes. The architectural influence on Italian Baroque handmade furniture design can be seen in the structural form of the piece.

Scagliola
Scagliola is false marble. The first documented examples of it appeared at the end of the 17th century in Germany and in Italy.
Pietra dura panels and table tops, for fitted and non fitted furniture, especially those from the Grand Ducal Workshops in Florence, were prohibitively expensive, so much less wealthy patrons were very keen to find an alternative and commissioned craftsmen to create an imitation - Scagliola.

The Technique
Scagliola is produced by grinding the mineral selenite into a powder and mixing it with coloured pigments and animal glue to produce a plaster like substance. As with pietra dura, a drawing is transferred to a stone slab upon which it is engraved.
Unlike marquetry or pietra dura, which are both inlaid, the liquid scagliola is poured into the engraved hollows in the stone, then left to set.
Additional effects, such as veining or different colour variations, are achieved by adding chips of marble, granite, alabaster, porphyry or other stones to the mixture, or by engraving and filling the hardened plaster a second time. Once the plaster has finally hardened, it is polished with linseed oil to create the desired finish.