ANMOLI0111387
Library Set Attributable To Henry Thomas Peters Mahogany Genoa 1800
XIX Century - from 1801 to 1900
Genoese library set attributable to Henry Thomas Peters, consisting of a large consultation table, book stand, wall cabinet with writing compartment and eight bookcases with racks, three of which are coupled, of different sizes; one of the pairs has two doors, which originally had a grate. The notches of the uprights all have slight differences in the design. The furniture is in mahogany and veneered in mahogany feather, with sessile oak interiors; the locks are marked "VAGO", an important Milanese company.
The library is attributable to Peters for the style and high quality found in the carving, both of the curved uprights decorated with leaf motifs, and in the podded frames and lion feet that support the book stand. The taste of the carving is clearly of Palagian inspiration. Pelagio Palagi, a Bolognese architect, was in fact directly called by King Carlo Alberto to direct the modernization work of the Racconigi Castle. Under his guidance, Gabriele Capello known as Moncalvo and Henry Thomas Peters were also active for this commission. For the occasion, Peters created three wardrobes for the bedroom of Queen Maria Theresa, of which there are the drawings by Palagi who, in an autographed memory of 1934, recalls the execution by the English cabinetmaker. The famous King's desk is also attributed to Peters, whose carving of the uprights, the lion feet and the high quality allow to bring our furniture closer.
Peters (1792-1852) was an English cabinetmaker, who moved permanently to Genoa in 1817, where, within a few years, he established himself as one of the main craftsmen, receiving important commissions from the most famous families of the time: Durazzo, Brignole Sale, De Mari, up to the aforementioned Savoy.