Cabinet

This famous cabinet belongs to the type of Dutch origin, which became very common in Italy from the mid-sixteenth century on. The inlay decoration in semi-precious stones is typical of a Roman workshop, which used polished stones arranged in a linear geometrical pattern. Those in the middle, decorating the numerous small drawers, are especially refined. Acquired before 1849, the cabinet was later heavily altered by Giuseppe Speluzzi. In 1859, he worked on it for the first time, adding the ebony base with bronze gilt masks and winged lions. In 1881, the year the museum was opened to the public, the cabinet was crowned with the large German silver goblet dating from the seventeenth century. It bears a Latin inscription which exalts happiness.