A pair of antique Wunderkammer Naturalia mineral specimen over carved wood base: smoky quartz, vanadinite and native copper crystals, Italy 1880.

Italy circa 1880.

Rather than mere supports, the bases are hand-carved wooden sculptures that elevate the raw mineral, transforming it into a work of decorative art. Style and Form: They are modeled in the shape of a cup, adorned with stylized, projecting leaves.The Finish: The finish is crafted in carved wood gilded with a dark “mecca”. “Mecca” is a characteristically Italian varnish (primarily Florentine and Venetian) made of shellac, resins, and saffron. Applied over silver leaf to imitate pure gold, it imparts a warm, deep tone. The mineral clusters are remarkably rich compositions characterized by spectacular chromatic contrasts of orange, green, deep, brown, and smoky gray. Although artistically mounted—artisans of the period often assembled and consolidated various pieces together to achieve the most dramatic “bouquet” effect possible—the individual crystals are exceptional: Smoky Quartz / Morion , Vanadinite: Showcasing hexagonal crystal aggregates ranging from reddish-orange to golden-brown.Native Copper: The green, micro-branched, and encrusting matrix that serves as a visual anchor at the base of the crystals is composed of native copper. In the late nineteenth century, Italy—particularly Florence, Rome, and Naples—was the preferred destination of the Grand Tour. Aristocratic travelers and the international upper class sought souvenirs that married a passion for science (mineralogy being highly fashionable at the time) with classical Italian elegance. Italy, circa 1880.

7” – 18 CM H 6” – 16CM L 4” – 10 CM D

REF: V1513A