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16th century, Bottega degli Embriachi, Venice or Florence, small chamber pot

$8,490.45

£6,293.42

€8,748VAT Included

CA$11,844.60

A$12,015.92

CHF 6,860.45

MX$145,494.02

NOK 80,764.29

SEK 80,496.24

DKK 54,916.22

About the Item

16th century, Bottega degli Embriachi, Venice or Florence Little Toilet Bone and wood, 14 x 12 cm Shellac on the base This box set is a classic example of the work of the renowned Baldassare degli Embriachi workshop. This object embodies the fusion of Florence’s characteristic business acumen and Venice’s refined taste during a transitional period between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. The work stands out for its precise decoration, created using the "alla certosina" inlay technique, which is the true hallmark of this workshop: it is a style characterized by repeated geometric patterns. The decoration, created by fitting together small pieces of bone, horn, and colored wood with extreme precision, reflects the Embriachi family’s desire to offer understated and tasteful luxury. The repetition of star and diamond patterns gives the object a solid, timeless beauty, perfect for the market of that era. The Embriachi workshop, likely of Genoese origin but which established itself as a leading business between Florence and Venice between the late 14th century and Dating from the 16th century, it represents a pinnacle of late Gothic craftsmanship. Founded by the merchant and diplomat Baldassarre Ubriachi (or Embriachi)—a multifaceted figure who also served as a banker and political agent for the Visconti—the workshop specialized in the systematic processing of bovine or equine bone. This technical choice—which replaced the rarer ivory with vertically arranged, decorated strips—enabled the large-scale production of both sacred and secular objects, framed by intricate wood and bone inlays known as “alla certosina” for their geometric precision. The body of work is divided into two main categories: major religious commissions and the production of household items for the aristocracy. The absolute masterpiece is the monumental altarpiece of the Certosa di Pavia (1400–1409), commissioned by Gian Galeazzo Visconti from Baldassarre. This polyptych presents an extensive narrative cycle dedicated to the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Magi, drawing heavily on the stories found in the Apocrypha. Alongside it are other monumental works, such as the altarpiece from the Abbey of Poissy (now in the Louvre) and the dismembered coffins from Casa Cagnola in Milan. Although these large altarpieces sometimes exhibit a certain monotony due to the repetitiveness of the panels and the fragmented narrative, the workshop achieves its greatest expressive success in smaller works, where the architectural simplicity of the forms blends perfectly with the ornamentation. In addition to their large altarpieces, the Embriachi workshop is universally renowned for its wedding chests and mirror frames (such as those preserved at the Bargello in Florence or the Civic Museum in Bologna). The caskets, generally quadrangular with a gabled lid or polygonal with a pyramidal top, featured iconography cherished by the courtly culture of the time: from the tales of Mattabruna and the Golden Eagle to the classical myths of Jason, Pyramus, and Thisbe, Paris and Theseus, all reinterpreted in accordance with the refined and chivalric tastes of the time. The style, which is more restrained and sculptural than the fluid linearity of French Gothic architecture, reflects the family’s Tuscan roots; documents indicate that they lived in Florence before moving to Venice. After Baldassarre, the business was carried on by members of the family, including Andrea, Antonio, and Giovanni, along with Giovanni’s sons, Geronimo and Lorenzo, who kept the workshop in operation until the mid-15th century and early 16th century. Critics tend to divide his work into two phases: an earlier one, directly linked to Baldassarre, and a later one, characterized by a gradual increase in formal rigidity, even as Gothic styles persisted. Today, the works of the Embriachi are found in the world’s most prestigious collections, from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden, while in Italy, significant collections are housed in Venice (Museo Correr), Bologna, Ravenna, Catania, and Turin, bearing witness to the incredible commercial and artistic success of what was Italy’s first true “industry” of luxury art objects.

Dimensions:
Height: 5.52 in (14 cm)Width: 4.73 in (12 cm)Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
Style:
Other (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bone,Other
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
16th Century
Date of Manufacture:
16th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5918250782502

Materials

Wood

16th century, Bottega degli Embriachi, Venice or Florence, small chamber pot

About the Item

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