Tsar Nicholas II's Winter Palace Armoire

We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare one of a kind Pauly CIE Et stamped hand carved walnut armoire made by the genius that was Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim 1837-1910 Where to begin, this cabinet is stamped to the rear “Fabrique De Meubles Pauly & Cie Venise. Pauly & Cie” who were a world famous glass foundry and later equally famous furniture manufacturer. Their grotto furniture has an immense following across the world. This piece was most likely retailed through them as it was made by Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim who is a fellow venetian There is one other known example of his works which is very similar, it is currently retailing for no less than £900,000 however it is accompanied by a few other pieces from a drawing room suite. The suite came from Palazzo Papadopoli, a Renaissance palace on the Grand Canal in Venice built for the Coccini family by Giovanni de Grigi around 1560. I will include some further history below on both Pauly CIE ET and Moses Michelangelo Guggenheium On to the armoire, it is clearly the most ornate tour de force of carving you will ever see, I’m thankful it has managed to survive so long without being broken up by salvagers looking to reclaim the sculptures. You can see in the carving elements of Pauly’s inspiration in the form of shells. You also have Putti’s riding dolphins and so on. We have fully treated it as there were various signs of old worm, it’s then been cleaned waxed and polished. One of the hidden hinges has been replaced, otherwise it is in near perfect condition for the age. The insides houses three wood shelves Dimensions Height 255.5cm top to bottom, without the removable top carving 211cm Width 170cm arm to arm of the chaps on the outside, 172cm at the top, 166cm at the bottom Depth 63cm top, 55cm middle, 59cm bottom Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim Leading expert of decorative arts in late 19th century Venice, Michelangelo Guggenheim (1831-1910) also was one of the greatest antiquarians and a modern furniture producer in the “City of Water”. His collections stored in the Balbi Palace on the Grand Canal were an outstanding sight, that art amateurs would recommend. At the age of 20, he founds a "Stabilimento d’arti decorative e industriali" which purpose is the industrial creation of objects bearing an artistic force. The furniture that made him worldwide famous re-imagines ancient styles, freeing their aesthetic powers to serve modern imagination. Often in walnut, his pieces of furniture sent to World Fairs impress people by the finesse of their sculptures. A prized designer as well, he reorganizes princely interiors in the same spirit. His most famous work is the Palazzo Papadopoli's design about 1874, where he unfolds the vocabulary of several periods. He conceives there a richly furnished Neo-Renaissance Cabinet that relived the Italian golden age. For the exceptional result he is awarded the Gold Medal of merit for science and arts by Ludwig II of Bavaria. Pauly & Cie Venise Since its foundation (1866), Pauly & C. has stood for elegance, creativity and Venetian luxury. The ancient Roman technique known as “murrine”, which today is the symbol of Murano glass, was reproduced for the first time in its workshops and was presented to the world at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878. In 150 years of business Pauly & C. has produced unique works for royal palaces, public buildings, private villas and has served an international client base that includes some of the most prominent names from the world of culture and art, figures from the world of industry and finance, politicians and nobility. Pauly & C. - C.V.M. (compagnia Venezia Murano) works are currently held in many private collections and exhibited in some of the most prestigious museums in the world. In the last years of activity, Pauly has been active with three distinct brands: • Pauly & C. CVM, the time-honoured company that produces classic objects, recreating old designs and collections and offering modern reinterpretations of them. • Pauly Glass Factory, which continues its association with artists and designers to produce artistic works with modern lines. • MVM Interior operates throughout the world with architects, interior designers and design studios for the creation of prestigious personalized projects History Compagnia di Venezia e Murano C.V.M. began as Salviati &C. in London in 1866 under the direction of Vicenza attorney Antonio Salviati and with the backing of two British men: archaeologist Austen Henry Layard and antiquarian Sir William Drake. The company was dedicated to using ancient techniques and utilized master glassblowers in its efforts to do so. It called in specialists from other fields like goldsmithing and engraving to ensure authenticity and employed artist Giuseppe Devers to teach the techniques of enamelling and heat-applied glass gilding to company artisans. Archaeologist Layard was particularly interested in the mosaic glass techniques of Roman and pre-Roman artists, and he spent years personally overseeing the work of the company's technicians and glassblowers in attempting to revive those techniques. In 1872, the company was successful, managing to replicate the type of glass commonly known as "murrina". The company was renamed Venice and Murano Glass and Mosaic Company Limited in 1872, and, in 1877, Layard purchased Salviati's interest so that Salviati could pursue other interests. The company quickly earned a reputation for quality original glass art and reproductions as well as its many mural mosaics in Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe. In 1878, the murrine produced by Compagnia di Venezia e Murano was included in its exhibit at the International Exhibition in Paris, which was the chief attraction in Italian glass. In its observations of the display, the United States Commission to the Paris exposition commented not only on "Roman murrine glass", but also particularly on the mural glass mosaics, the "perfection of which" had "engaged the earnest attention of the company." Mosaics produced by the company during the time period are still in existence in diverse areas such as Gonville and Caius...

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