19th Century Grand Italian Renaissance Walnut Hall Bench was designed to be an impressive and magnificent way to greet guests while providing a bold style statement for a gracious home.  Sculpted from sumptuous walnut, it features a classical architecture that has been adorned in the manner of the Renaissance, artistically combining the two concepts to produce a truly memorable work.  On top of the stepped pediment style crown we see a form of heraldic crest with fruit & foliate sprays topped with a stylized shell, overlooking the crown molding in multiple tiers with two variations of egg & dart trim.  The bonnet panel depicts floral rosettes with fluting, and is flanked by vertical fletching and more scrolls with fruit and foliates leading the eye down to the top of the bench itself, which repeats the motif design, substituting rosettes on each side at the top of the cornerposts which lead the eye down to the lavishly carved armrests depicting happy lions amongst the ornamentation.  The armrests flank the main visual aspect which is three panels on the seat back, the left and right being stylized foliates and lion's heads looking up at the center panel with gryffins looking down at the lions on the side panels and framing a boldly carved full relief lion's head at the center, crowned with an urn bursting with fruit.  The gadrooned edge on the seat below that opens trunk-like to present surprising storage within.  The lower facade is for all purposes a trunk, carved with framed rosettes on the the front and sides, with corners adorned with lions' heads over Greek coin.  A finely carved and footed base completes the affair.
Circa 1890s
Measures 82H x 61.5W x 20.5D; seat 19H
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