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A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 1
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 2
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 3
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 4
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 5
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 6
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 7
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 8
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 9
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 10
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 11
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 12
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 13
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 14
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 15
A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705 (6) image 16
Lot 88*,TP

A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques
Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705

Fine Decorative Arts
1 July 2025, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £15,360 inc. premium

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A set of six Northen Italian carved, painted and parcel-silvered and giltwood wall appliques

Early 18h century, Piedmontese, circa 1705
Each depicting the coat of arms of Carlo Antonio Amedeo, 16th Marquis of Romagnano and Maria Balbis di Verone, the Romagnono insignia to the left, the azur ground with a silver stripe, bordered by two gold threads, the Balbis insignia to the right, with five bands of azur on gold ground, the coats of arms surmounted by a coronet cresting and flanked by rearing unicorns, and with acanthus and C-scroll carved decoration, the scrolling foliate candle arms issuing from the brackets and terminating with a gilt-metal drip pan and sconces, 58cm high, 48cm wide, 29cm deep (6)

Footnotes

Provenance
Sotheby's, London, Treasures, 4 July 2018, Lot 13.

Probably commissioned by Carlo Antonio Amedeo, 16th Marquis of Romagnano (1678-1728) and Maria Balbis di Vernone (d. 1731) for Castello Romagnano, Virle, Piedmont, circa 1705 (fig. 1).

These gilded heraldic wall appliques are distinguished examples of early 18th century Piedmontese decorative arts. Their bold, sculptural carving reflects the influence of the late Baroque Louis XIV style, as popularized by architects, designers, and engravers such as Daniel Marot, notably through his Nouveaux Livre d'Orfevrerie, first published in 1703 (cf. Plate VI 4). A closely related design by the Sicilian born architect Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736), celebrated for his work on the Basilica of Superga in Turin, offers a compelling point of comparison, sharing striking ornamental similarities with these appliques. However, Juvarra's arrival in Piedmont did not occur until 1714.

Crowned with a Marquis' coronet and framed by rearing unicorns, symbols traditionally associated with nobility and authority, the design unmistakably draws from the Romagnano family coat of arms. This attribution is supported by an ex-libris label from the library of Castello Romagnano in Virle, Piedmont (fig. 3). The appliques, emblazoned with this heraldic emblem, are believed to commemorate the second marriage of Carlo Antonio Amedeo, 16th Marquis of Romagnano (1678–1728), to Maria Paola Salesia Balbis di Vernone, celebrated at the Church of Santa Maria on February 24, 1705. Two further examples from this same set are illustrated in Antonetto, R., ibid., vol. II, p. 243, fig. 2.

The Romagnanos were an ancient noble family of Piedmont, with documented ancestry dating back to at least the 10th century, traditionally traced to Arduino Glabrione, the first Marquis of Turin. Their holdings were concentrated in three principal territories: Romagnano Sesia, Carignano, and Virle. The Virle branch emerged around 1230 with Giovanni Romagnano, following an investiture by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1163. By 1278, the family held lordship over Virle, managing extensive estates, overseeing numerous mills, and founding a Cistercian abbey. Over successive generations, the Romagnanos occupied several high-ranking positions, including Grand Chancellor of Savoy, Ambassador to the Doge of Venice, and Mayor of Turin. Although their political influence waned from the mid 16th century in favor of the rising House of Savoy, they retained regional prominence until the death of the last Marquis without an heir in 1849.

Their ancestral seat, Castello Romagnano, a sprawling architectural complex situated in the medieval village of Virle Piemonte, twelve miles south of Turin, was reconstructed in the early 18th century under the direction of Marquis Francesco Romagnano. Carlo Antonio Amedeo, 16th Marquis and son of Andrea (15th Marquis) and Petronilla Francesca Capris, achieved notable civic stature as President of the Senate of Nice and, in 1726, Mayor of Turin.

Related Literature
Antonetto, R., Il Mobile Piemontese nel Settecento, 2010, Vol. II, p. 243, fig. 2.

Additional information

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