Cabinet with naturalistic mosaics

Cabinets were among the most loved pieces of furniture during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They combined rare materials and sophisticated manufacturing and they were used as precious containers of small collectable objects such as medals, coins, jewels and so on, conserved within many cabinet doors and drawers, concealed in the architectural structure. The outer appearance of cabinets revealed their precious contents. Among the most common subjects for the Florentine mosaics, naturalistic themes were the most beloved, as you can see in this extraordinary cabinet. Its symmetrical and well-balanced shape recalls the façade of a Florentine palace. The panels portray bright colored birds, fruits and flowers.