Large walnut armchair with ” a certosina” ornamentation, Italy, circa 1830

Large upright armchair and front legs with square section, in walnut, decorated “a certosina”. Italy, around 1830. The backrest has two large bands, carved with scrolls, motif taken up in the band under the seat. The armrests rest on two baluster columns. The uprights end with two heads of men included in two volutes All the visible parts of face, including the interior of the back legs are decorated “a certosina”, kind of mosaic created from pieces of wood, mother of pearl, bone or ivory. This technique, widely used at the time of the Italian Renaissance, takes its name from the Certosa convent, near Pavia, where it was used for the first time to adorn an altarpiece.