THE ROTHSCHILD MILANESE ARMOURER'S CABINET' A RARE NORTH ITALIAN DAMASCENED STEEL AND GILT BRONZE ARMOURER'S TABLE CABINET IN THE MANNER OF THE WORKSHOP OF GIOVANNI BATTISTA PANZERI, MILAN, THE PLAQUES LATE 16TH / EARLY 17TH CENTURY, THE CABINET 19TH CENTURY fitted with eleven drawers around a central cupboard hinged door, decorated in relief with scenes from Roman history before cityscapes, with swags of fruit and leaves, soldiers, satyr masks, war trophies and term figures, the cupboard with the story of Gaius Mucius Scaevola, revealing a gilt lined vacant interior, the cabinet with a pierced scrolling leaf silver gilt border and green damask velvet panels, on sphinx supports, on an associated and later French 'Japonisme' stand (2) cabinet: 42.5cm high, 59.8cm wide, 35.5cm deep the stand: 80.8cm high, 65.7cm wide, 42.5cm deep Provenance Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918) the Red Room at Halton House, Buckinghamshire Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942) Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009) The Trustees of Exbury House Literature Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript: 000/174/C/3, Christie, Manson & Woods Probate Valuation of 'The Estate of Alfred C. de Rothschild, Esq. C.V.O. Deceased, Halton House Tring', 1918. Listed as 'An Italian cabinet with architectural front, overlaid with steel plaques chiselled with classical warriors and partly damascened with gold, Milanese, 16th Century, on stand, £300.0.0.' Catalogue Note In Milan during the second half of the 16th century skilled craftsmen who produced damascened armour and weapons for noble patrons began to expand their production into furniture. Creating mainly cabinets with drawers, some of architectural form but also tables, mirrors, picture frames and tabernacles tailored to the tastes of wealthy patrons desiring one-of-a-kind masterworks epitomizing luxury. These objects made by the Milanese armourers were decorated with steel or iron plaquettes, embossed and damascened with gold and silver, depicting subjects inspired by Roman history or mythology. Sometimes they were embellished with small sculptures. One of the prominent makers to capitalise on this luxury market was Giovanni Battista Panzeri, called Zarabaglia, who also specialised in devotional objects. His masterpiece is arguably the reliquary tabernacle in the form of a church, made for Spain's El Escorial, kept in its Monastery of San Lorenzo. For comparisons to our present cabinet, see the Victoria & Albert Museum for a cabinet with very similar panels and subject matter gifted by Dr. Hildburgh, accession no. M.22:1-1952, dated to 1550-1600. In the Waddesdon Bequest at the British Museum there is an architectural cabinet formerly belonging to Alfred's cousin Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, reg. no. WB.16. See also three cabinets in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli and a wiring cabinet in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, accession no. 1930-1-187. Literature For a discussion of these cabinets, see Silvio Leydi, Mobili Milanesi in acciaio e metalli preziosi nell'eta del Manierismo, in Fatto in Italia. Dal Medioevo al Made in Italy, ed. by Alessandra Guerrini, with Barbara Brondi and Marco Raino. Catalogue of the exhibition at Reggia di Venaria, 19th March - 10th July 2016. The Iconography The central panel depicts Gaius Mucius Scaevola in front of the Etruscan king, Lars Porsena. Scaevola, a young Roman, formed a plan to save Rome from the intruder Etruscan army by assassinating their king but he mistakenly killed the king's secretary. When Scaevola was captured, he bravely declared "I am Gaius Mucius, a citizen of Rome. I came here as an enemy to kill my enemy, and I am as ready to die as I am to kill. We Romans act bravely and, when adversity strikes, we suffer bravely." Scaevola then thrust his right hand in a fire to prove he meant his words. Lars Porsena was so impressed by his actions that he allowed Scaevola to leave and soon after sought to make a treaty with Rome. Some panels surrounding this legendary scene are also connected to the siege of Rome, depicting Roman heroes standing up to the Etruscan king: bottom left showing Horatius Cocles who, first accompanied by two fellow soldiers, but eventually single handedly held off the advancing army at the foot of the bridge over the Tiber. The panel above shows a female figure, standing in front of the king on horseback. The female is probably Cloelia who escaped from the Etruscan camp and led away a group of Roman virgins. Cloelia later voluntarily returned to Lars Porsena who then praised her for her heroism and allowed her to walk away again with half of the Roman hostages. And the bottom right panel depicts the ultimate sacrifice of a Roman hero: Marcus Curtius. When a bottomless chasm mysteriously opened on the Forum, the augur declared it will not close until the most precious possession of Rome was sacrificed. Curtius responded that the arms and the soldiers' courage was what made Rome exceptional, before, on horseback and fully armed, he th