An extremely rare neoclassical parcel-gilt and painted banquette in the transitional Louis XV/XVI style, likely from Marche, Italy, circa 1790, carved on the back rail with the Papal crest depicting crossed keys beneath three gold crowns on a red domed tiara, bordered on either side by a carved and gilded chain. The serpentine seat rail is decorated with embossed and gilded roses and is supported by turned legs. The arms are carved in elegant scrolls. The piece retains its original blue/green painted finish, newly reupholstered in velvet fabric.

The region where the piece was made was under the control of the Vatican until the 1870s and is known as the Papal States or "Stato Pontificio". The addition of the Papal crest may have indicated that the banquette was used in an ecclesiastical setting or was created to commemorate some important Papal event.

The piece came from the estate of Owen J. Roberts, a Supreme Court justice and founder of the “Monuments Men,” a group that searched for stolen art during WW2. It descended through his daughter Elizabeth Roger’s Hamilton (who died April 20, 1995).

• H 46 in. x W 79 in. x D 23 in.

• Place of origin: Italy

• Period: Late 18th Century

• Of the period: Louis XV / XVI

• Date of manufacture: 1790

• Materials and techniques: painted wood/parcel gilt

• Condition: Wear consistent with age and use.