Pietre Dure: Hardstone in Furniture and Decorations

Beginning in Rome and then Florence with the foundation of the Grand ducal manufactory in 1588, there was a growing taste for pietre dure. Later, this was disseminated throughout the courts of Europe. This sumptuous book illustrates the range of its uses in furniture and decoration and discusses the major centers of its production. The types, sources, and characteristics of pietre dure are detailed, with entries on the most widely used material, tools, and techniques, to complete this exhaustive and invaluable reference work.