72 - Neo-15th-century bridal wardrobe in inlaid and pyrographed wood, Siena, first quarter of the 19th century

Neo-15th-century bridal wardrobe in inlaid and pyrographed wood, Siena, first quarter of the 19th century 211 x 163 x 63.5 cm The front features two doors flanked by pilasters with inlaid candelabras, crowned by a projecting cornice with two rows of meticulous gilded pastiglia decoration separated by a serrated edge. The two doors are decorated with wood inlays in various woods depicting, within golden clypei, busts of Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Bernardino of Siena. Below, the papal insignia, featuring the Piccolomini coats of arms beneath a scroll inscribed “Principi di Valle, Duchi di Amalfi e Principi del Sacro Romano Impero in Nachoth” (Princes of Valle, Dukes of Amalfi, and Princes of the Holy Roman Empire in Nachoth), stands out; at the very bottom, the IHS trigram surmounted by a cross and enclosed within a circle. Along the left edge of the Christogram, one can read the biblical verse taken from the Letter to the Philippians (Phil 2:10): “In Nomine Jesu Omne Genu Flectatur Coelestium Terrestrium Et Infernorum” (In the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth). The similar Christogram placed at the bottom right stands out in the center of the radiant sun. Lilies and crescent moons arranged around the inlays complete the decoration. Both sides feature two small panels enclosed by molded frames: at the top, a stylized inlaid flame; in the center, a Christogram enclosed in a circle; and at the bottom, a Latin quotation serving as a protective motto against adversity—“QVI CONTRA NOS”—taken from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans (chapter 8, verse 31): “Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?” (If God is for us, who will be against us?). The lower frame is lined with gilded pastiglia palmettes; bracket feet. This extraordinary bridal wardrobe with inlaid doors represents a masterpiece of monumental cabinetmaking and heraldry. The inscription on the façade, which combines the titles of Princes of Valle, Dukes of Amalfi, Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, and the geographical reference to Nachoth (Náchod), points directly to the history of one of the most illustrious families of Italian and European nobility: the Piccolomini of Aragon, with particular reference to the famous Piccolomini-Pieri branch and the figure of General Ottavio Piccolomini (1599–1656). The Piccolomini family obtained the Duchy of Amalfi in 1461, when Antonio Piccolomini, nephew of Pope Pius II, was granted the title by Ferdinand I of Aragon, King of Naples. To cement this connection to the crown, the family added the word “d’Aragona” to its surname and incorporated the Aragonese bars into its coat of arms (visible in the inlaid coats of arms on the doors). The connection to Central Europe stems from Ottavio Piccolomini, one of the most important military commanders of the Thirty Years’ War. Serving under the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand II, Ottavio distinguished himself at the Battle of Lützen and in the overthrow of Wallenstein. As a reward for his military successes, in 1634 the Emperor granted him the vast Lordship of Náchod (located in eastern Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, referred to as “Nachoth” in the inscription). A few years later, in 1650, Ottavio was elevated to the rank of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, thereby obtaining the right to a seat at the Imperial Diet of Regensburg. The title “Principi di Valle” is part of the complex feudal network held by the Piccolomini of Aragon in the Kingdom of Naples, where they owned numerous fiefs, counties, and principalities spread across Campania, Abruzzo, and Puglia. The simultaneous presence of these titles in a single inscription would place the commissioning of the piece between the 17th and 18th centuries, but in our opinion, it is an early 19th-century creation. The bridal wardrobe celebrates the union of a noble lineage that was simultaneously rooted in the heart of the Kingdom of Naples (through Amalfi and Valle) and integrated into the upper echelons of the Central European imperial nobility (through the title of the Holy Roman Empire and the Bohemian fiefdom of Náchod). The inlaid coats of arms visually blend the blue cross with gold crescents (the original Piccolomini coat of arms) with the insignia of titles and marital alliances acquired over time.