Attributed to FRANCESCO GHINGHI (Florence, 1689 - 1762). "Annunciation". Hard stones, gilded bronze and silver. Measurements: 25 x 33 cm; 33 x 43 cm (frame). The decoration in hard stones has been arranged throughout the board, which presents a geometric decoration that frames two borders in the center in which you can see the profile of the Virgin and the archangel Gabriel. The presence of both characters refers to the biblical passage of the new testament of the annunciation. However, the schematization of the scene only suggests the message of the annunciation without describing it in detail. The technique known as hard stone carving is a type of inlay that uses colored marble and hard stone and was born in Florence. Thanks to the efforts of Piero de Medici and Lorenzo the Magnificent to revitalize and update a mosaic technique, called opus sectile used in ancient Rome. In the 17th century France was the first court to show a clear interest in the hard stone technique, establishing centers among which the Gobelins factory stood out. In Italy, the Royal workshop of Naples stood out, which took over from Florence when the Medici disappeared. Charles III in Spain brought several foreign masters with the intention of organizing a workshop, which was installed in the Royal site of El Buen Retiro. Stylistically there was a great variety of decorative motifs, although since 1600 there is a clear preference for natural aesthetic patterns to which other zoomorphic motifs were added over time. In this particular case the piece has great similarities with the works of Francesco Maria Gaetano Ghinghi, master carver of family tradition. He was a student of Giovanni Battista Foggini. In 1738 he was appointed by King Charles of Bourbon as the first director of the Royal Laboratory of Hard Stones in Naples.