Lot 272
Europe, Italy, Sicily (made in Palermo), ca. second half of the 19th century CE. An incredible piece of history, a wooden cart made in Palermo, Sicily, brightly painted on the interior and exterior. The exterior shows historical scenes from Christopher Columbus's journeys to the Americas on either side. This includes a scene of him speaking to a large group as he gestures to a globe, a scene of him presenting a cross and a flag before a crown of conquistadors and natives, a scene of him proposing his journey to a large group, and, finally, a scene of him presenting some indigenous Americans before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Each scene is labeled in Italian on the bottom, although some of the letters have faded. There are two painted panels of standing medieval knights on the back (the tail board). Between those panels is what appears to be a crest with large words above and below it, but sadly the paint is too worn to discern what this once showed. Size: 72" L x 39" W x 41" H (182.9 cm x 99.1 cm x 104.1 cm)
The interior has abstract sunburst designs on each side. Beneath the tail board are ornately carved, three-dimensional figures who form a decorative arch on the cart's struts. The struts themselves are also elaborately painted, with angelic carved faces forming the terminal for each strut. Delicate ironwork attaches the underside of the cart to the wheels, which are painted with bright floral patterns and whose spokes have childlike carved human figures on them. Eight wooden supporting columns - three on each side, two on the tail board - are capped by carved finials in the form of regal men and women, either saints or royalty. The long tongue ends in an iron fitting and it, too, is painted.
Written in Italian across the top of each scene of Columbus is, "DANEU CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE NO. 462 PALERMO". This tells us who made this cart and where it was made: the Daneu family, at the street address No. 462 Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo, Sicily. The Daneu family were Slovenians from Trieste (then a part of Slovenia) who moved to Palermo and opened their antiques shop during the Belle Epoque, the period of western European prosperity from roughly 1871 to 1914. The Corso Vittorio Emanuele is also known as the Cassaro, the most ancient street in Palermo, and it was renamed to honor the king after the reunification of Italy. This street is the scene of a long procession during the Festino, on the night between July 14th and 15th each year, which is dedicated to Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of city. This beautiful cart was made to be a part of that procession.
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection
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#124341
- Condition: Wood surfaces have expected cracking from age and there is a reddish patina on the iron surfaces. The interior pigment is worn but still visible in many places. The exterior pigment has faded somewhat but much of it - particularly on one side - remains very bright and clear. The cart itself remains in good condition and feels very stable if you try to move it.
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