Chimney Piece
ca. 1466-ca. 1470 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The chimney-piece is closely related in style to the work of Desiderio da Settignano and was previously associated with the marriage of Giovanni Boni and Camilla Marsuppini in 1463. However, the iconography suggests that it was produced in the Desiderio workshop after his death in 1464, probably between Giovanni Boni's death in 1466 and the failure of the family bank in 1470.
The arms in the centre of the frieze are those of the Boni family, who were Florentine silk merchants and bankers. It is possible that the chimney-piece was commissioned to commemorate the deaths of Giovanni Boni (1427-66) and his wife, Camilla Marsuppini, whose portraits, surrounded by winged shells, are included on the frieze.
Brought from a villa at San Miniato, near Florence.
The use of the shell motif to represent salvation appears to derive from Roman funerary monuments where it signified the shell in which the soul was carried to the other world.
The arms in the centre of the frieze are those of the Boni family, who were Florentine silk merchants and bankers. It is possible that the chimney-piece was commissioned to commemorate the deaths of Giovanni Boni (1427-66) and his wife, Camilla Marsuppini, whose portraits, surrounded by winged shells, are included on the frieze.
Brought from a villa at San Miniato, near Florence.
The use of the shell motif to represent salvation appears to derive from Roman funerary monuments where it signified the shell in which the soul was carried to the other world.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Grey, carved sandstone |
| Brief description | Sandstone chimney-piece by the workshop of Desiderio da Settignano, Florence, ca. 1466-1470 |
| Physical description | The frieze shows two flying putti in the centre, that on the left naked, that on the right wearing a thin vest, and busts of a young man and young woman near the ends. At the ends are two projecting console brackets carved with a winged girl astride a dolphin and a boy astride a sea monster. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | 5896-1859: Chimney-Piece
Grey sandstone (pietra serena)
Workshop of Desiderio da Settignano (b. about 1430; d. 1464)
Florentine; about 1466-70
The arms in the centre of the frieze are those of the Boni family, who were Florentine silk merchants and bankers. It is possible that the chimney-piece was commissioned to commemorate the deaths of Giovanni Boni (1427-66) and his wife, Camilla Marsuppini, whose portraits, surrounded by winged shells, are included on the frieze. The use of the shell motif to represent salvation appears to derive from Roman funerary monuments where it signified the shell in which the soul was carried to the other world.
The chimney-piece is closely related in style to the work of Desiderio da Settignano and was previously associated with the marriage of Giovanni Boni and Camilla Marsuppini in 1463. However, the iconography suggests that it was produced in the Desiderio workshop after his death in 1464, probably between Giovanni Boni's death in 1466 and the failure of the family bank in 1470.(2004) |
| Object history | The arms in the centre of the frieze are those of the Boni family, who were Florentine silk merchants and bankers. It is possible that the chimney-piece was commissioned to commemorate the deaths of Giovanni Boni (1427-66) and his wife, Camilla Marsuppini, whose portraits, surrounded by winged shells, are included on the frieze. Brought from a villa at San Miniato, near Florence. Historical significance: The use of the shell motif to represent salvation appears to derive from Roman funerary monuments where it signified the shell in which the soul was carried to the other world. |
| Production | The chimney-piece is closely related in style to the work of Desiderio da Settignano and was previously associated with the marriage of Giovanni Boni and Camilla Marsuppini in 1463. However, the iconography suggests that it was produced in Desiderio's workshop after his death in 1464, probably between Giovanni Boni's death in 1466 and the failure of the family bank in 1470. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The chimney-piece is closely related in style to the work of Desiderio da Settignano and was previously associated with the marriage of Giovanni Boni and Camilla Marsuppini in 1463. However, the iconography suggests that it was produced in the Desiderio workshop after his death in 1464, probably between Giovanni Boni's death in 1466 and the failure of the family bank in 1470. The arms in the centre of the frieze are those of the Boni family, who were Florentine silk merchants and bankers. It is possible that the chimney-piece was commissioned to commemorate the deaths of Giovanni Boni (1427-66) and his wife, Camilla Marsuppini, whose portraits, surrounded by winged shells, are included on the frieze. Brought from a villa at San Miniato, near Florence. The use of the shell motif to represent salvation appears to derive from Roman funerary monuments where it signified the shell in which the soul was carried to the other world. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 5896-1859 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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