This cabinet forms part of an interior commissioned by Luisa Casati. Luisa Casati was a very wealthy marquise and a muse to leading artists around 1900. Her name appears twice on the piece of furniture: once in tin inlay and the other painted on parchment. It was a privilege for Carlo to incorporate this prestigious name, thereby demonstrating that his work represented the very pinnacle of luxury and exclusivity.
Restoration cabinet by Carlo Bugatti.
Condition for restoration: – Active woodworm – Dirty – Many missing wooden ornaments – Many missing bone ornaments – Missing shelf – Missing key – Many loose parts – Missing/broken pieces of turning – Loose gates with twisted bobbins – Broken top left corner of the lower right door – Clamping doors – Clamping drawer.
Work carried out: – Fighting woodworm – Many wooden and bone ornaments added – Shelf with inlay added – Missing turning work added – Loose ornaments reattached – Slightly cleaned – Tin inlays refreshed – Bones ornaments refreshed – Broken top left corner restored – Broken door restored – Hinges of the doors adjusted – Silk trimmings better secured – The mechanism of the locks cleaned and lubricated – Missing key recast and made to fit on the lock – Drawers made smooth – Woodworm holes filled (many) – Gates fixed with twisted bobbins – Glass disassembled and cleaned – Felt glides placed under the legs – The entire cabinet finished with beeswax. Materials: – Dark-coloured walnut – Pewter and brass inlays – Bone ornaments – Stamped copper-wrapped columns – Perforated and punched copper parts – Ornaments of ebony, rosewood and walnut – Hammered yellow glass – Silk trimmings – Lizards in red – Parchment – Camel leather (interior).
