19th C. Italian Scagliola Marble Column Pedestal

A freestanding scagliola column pedestal in the Neoclassical manner, the fluted shaft imitating Siena marble in warm ochre with grey veining, raised on a turned circular base and square plinth finished in a contrasting white-grey veined marble simulation. The capital is carved with egg-and-dart molding beneath a flat square abacus, completing the full classical order. The use of two distinct scagliola finishes, one for the shaft and one for the capital and base, is a mark of accomplished workshop production.

Scagliola is a plaster-based technique developed in 17th century Italy for imitating rare and costly marbles, refined through the 18th and 19th centuries into a high-craft discipline practiced primarily in Tuscany and Lombardy. At its best, as here, the surface is indistinguishable from stone at a distance and reveals its artifice only on close inspection. Column pedestals of this type served in Italian and Northern European grand interiors as display stands for sculpture, busts, and urns.

Dimensions: Inquire
Style: Italian Neoclassical
Materials & Techniques: Scagliola on plaster core, carved capital
Place of Origin: Italy
Period: Late 19th century