17th century, Baroque coat of arms

early seventeenth century

Baroque Coat of Arms

Carved oak, height 70 x 64 cm

The coat of arms presented here belongs to the seventeenth century, as confirmed by the date of 1671 reported in the lower part of the smaller specimen. The high plastic quality of the putto and the bunches of grapes, which frame the mixtilinear shield in the center of the larger coat of arms, stands out on the smooth surfaces and on the lenticular details of the leaves and architectural scrolls. The details abound and fill the spaces around the center, playing on a surface that alternates concavity and convexity, as also occurs in the second coat of arms, on whose shield there are golden details in relief: the letters G and I, the three identical signs that recall the zodiac symbol of the twins and, in the oval at the bottom, the date 1671. The gilding also extends to the frame, characterized by vegetal motifs that connect the coat of arms from the bottom to its top, decorated with a shell, a typical motif of the seventeenth century and of the Baroque taste. The symbols, the date and the letters could refer to the owner or his family, probably belonging to the noble sphere of society. The refined taste is rendered without cloying through a fine workmanship that does not overlap other materials thus fully highlighting the beauty of the carved oak wood.