FLORENCE, THE GOLD MOUNTS 20TH CENTURY

In the Northern Apennine mountain areas of Italy, around the city of Florence in Tuscany, a rare kind of limestone is found called pietra paesina or Florentine marble. The natural veins of impurities within the rock have arranged themselves in shapes that resemble mountainous landscapes, castles, and ruins. Highly regarded by collectors, the stone has always been much in demand. Cut and polished slabs of marble were either displayed as individual decorative pieces or embedded in architectural elements and furniture. As in the present example, the natural landscape in the stones were often highlighted with painted figures, insects or mythical creatures.