{"title":"Abstract","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"miguel-ortiz-berrocal-il-cofanetto-opus-123-gold-plated","title":"Miguel Berrocal Il Cofanetto Opus 123 complete romantic dining set for two","description":"\u003cp\u003eMiguel Berrocal “Il Cofanetto” (Opus 123) 1969–1975 complete 88-piece gold-plated Zamak dining set for two, homage to Romeo \u0026amp; Juliet and the city of Verona\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIl Cofanetto: Miguel Berrocal, 1969–1975\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA complete, 88-piece “Il Cofanetto” 321\/500 signed by the Spanish sculptor Miguel Berrocal, celebrated for the puzzle sculptures he produced between 1967 and 2004 while working in Verona, Italy and nearby Negrar. Conceived as a homage to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and the city of Verona, this Renaissance-style casket disassembles into a complete gold-plated dining set for two: four candlesticks, two pairs of tall matching goblets on Corinthian-column stems, a full complement of forks, knives and spoons, a rechaud, four ashtrays, and a pair of rings, one for him, one for her, all housed within a lidded, reliquary-form casket rendered in Berrocal’s signature interlocking, biomorphic puzzle language. Corinthian columns frame each side of the casket itself, capped by a stepped, pyramid-finialed lid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example is complete with all 88 pieces and its original hardback book, which documents the piece’s history, gives full assembly instructions, and illustrates the production process with period photography (Verona, Romeo and Juliet costume shoot included).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA documented, freshly re-plated example\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNine pieces of this Il Cofanetto were sent to Stefano Bussola Argentatura e Doratura, in Verona, the very workshop that originally gold-plated the edition in the early 1970s, to be re-plated. Though the company has since closed, its retired owner, a master gilder, personally took on the restoration of these pieces, applying the same expertise used on the originals over fifty years ago. It’s a rare case of an edition being returned, even briefly, to the hands that made it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRarity\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the projected edition of 350 \u003cem\u003eIl Cofanetto\u003c\/em\u003e sculptures in gold-plated Zamak (designated by the artist to be signed and numbered 151\/500 through 500\/500), only 207 were executed and remain in circulation: making this one of the scarcer complete sets to appear on the market, and a significant piece for any serious Berrocal collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions: H 19 x W 16 x D 15 cm (H 7.5 x W 6.3 x D 5.9 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiguel Ortiz Berrocal (1933–2006) was a Spanish figurative and abstract sculptor best known for his puzzle sculptures, which disassemble into many abstract pieces and often conceal miniature artworks or jewelry, with some capable of being reassembled into different configurations. He worked in Verona and nearby Negrar from 1967 to 2004, collaborating closely with sculptural foundries, and exhibited widely across Europe, North and South America, and Japan. His work is held in prestigious collections worldwide, and a museum dedicated to him has since been founded in Málaga.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVintage Objects would like to thank the foundation Fundación Escultor Berrocal for their availability, assistance, dedication and kindness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWear consistent with age and use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Miquel Ortiz Berrocal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55480184406357,"sku":null,"price":17500.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1091\/2091\/3749\/files\/miguel-berrocal-il-cofanetto-opus-123-1969-1975-complete-88-piece-358.jpg?v=1792691908"},{"product_id":"alberto-cabiddu-wall-sculpture-lime-stone","title":"“Murena”: Alberto Cabiddu wall sculpture, 1999, Pietra di Vicenza \u0026 Ebonized wood","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Murena”: Alberto Cabiddu wall sculpture, 1999, Pietra di Vicenza \u0026amp; Ebonized wood\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH. 37 x W. 100 x D. 7 cm\u003cbr\u003e(H. 14.6 x W. 39.4 x D. 2.75 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Murena” is a rare wall-mounted sculpture by Italian artist Alberto Cabiddu, carved in 1999 from Pietra di Vicenza, the honey-toned limestone long favored by Renaissance architects, and set against a black-lacquered wood ground. Stretching a full meter across the wall, the piece takes its name and rhythm from the moray eel: a sinuous, undulating silhouette that coils and knots across the panel, its pale stone body punctuated by voids that let the black backing bite through like shadow or negative space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCabiddu’s language here is instantly recognizable: soft, biomorphic volumes carved with an almost hand-worn tactility, floating against a hard graphic ground. The dialogue between the two materials is the real subject of the work: warm, porous, sunlit stone against cool, matte black lacquer; mass against void; organic curve against architectural edge. Comparisons to Jean Arp’s biomorphic reliefs or Hans Arp’s cut-paper compositions come to mind, filtered through Cabiddu’s own late-1990s vocabulary of stacked, rhythmic form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with all of Cabiddu’s sculptures, this is a unique, one-of-a-kind work: the artist has never worked in editions. Signed by the artist. A striking, sculptural presence for a hallway, stairwell, or gallery wall, “Murena” reads equally well as fine art or as a signature piece of postmodern Italian design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent, consistent with age. Ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWear consistent with age and use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlberto Cabiddu was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1966, and found his way to art early, encouraged by a teacher who spotted his talent when he was just ten. After a youth more focused on music, his interest in drawing resurfaced in his late teens, taking him through courses in Paris and Geneva. In 1987 he relocated to the province of Vicenza, Italy, where he discovered the local Pietra di Vicenza and began experimenting with it alongside marble, wood, and clay. Though he studied briefly with sculptor Agostino Gallio and ceramicist Antonio Visentin, Cabiddu is largely self-taught.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decades, Cabiddu worked in near total privacy, uninterested in exhibiting or promoting his sculpture: choosing instead to quietly develop a singular body of work defined by biomorphic form, architectural clarity, and the tension between organic stone and rigid, dark wood grounds. Only in recent years has a small body of this work begun reaching collectors, making early, signed pieces like “Murena” genuinely scarce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Alberto Cabiddu","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55480200724821,"sku":null,"price":3750.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1091\/2091\/3749\/files\/murena-alberto-cabiddu-wall-sculpture-1999-pietra-di-vicenza-800.jpg?v=1792691926"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1091\/2091\/3749\/collections\/miguel-berrocal-il-cofanetto-opus-123-1969-1975-complete-88-piece-358.jpg?v=1792692463","url":"https:\/\/abesdc-b1.myshopify.com\/collections\/abstract.oembed","provider":"Vintage Objects","version":"1.0","type":"link"}