18th century Italian base mounted with pyrophyllite in a crystal quartz matrix on a pyrophyllite and quartz base.
This fragment is from a church in Florence. It was found and saved from the historic flooding of the Arno River in 1966. The piece has been naturally distressed from the flood. The silt from the flood is still on the piece.
The pyrophyllite is put together with the Florence fragment to create a piece that looks as though it evolved together over time. It is a rare mineral from the mountains of North Carolina and is known for its inclusions that fan out of the mineral to create beautiful shapes and designs on the quartz matrix.
The Florence Fragment Collection exhibited with the Museo de’ Medici this autumn. The Museo de' Medici or “the Medici Museum” is located in the monumental Rotonda Brunelleschi which was designed in 1432 and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, a famous Italian architect who also built the Florence dome. He is also considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture. The Museo de’ Medici is devoted to preserving the history of the Medici family and exhibiting precious collections of works of art, historical relics, original documents, faithful reconstructions and multimedia installations.
“I am honored to present this collection with the Museo de’ Medici with the city where the pieces found their origin and precious history,” says Jean O'Reilly Barlow, the artist and founder of Interi. “This collection is to honor the history of Florence and to show the beauty and resilience the city holds. It is the birthplace of the renaissance and this collection pays tribute to the rebirth after the flood.”
The story and history of this piece and Interi's collection of Florence fragments, in particular, are very interesting. While many fragments are distressed due to age, these Florence fragments in particular stand apart. They symbolize a history that has been carried through the streets of Italy, to the Italian store house where they were collected, to the Interi studio, to now the modern home or gallery.
Size: 9.5" high x 5" wide x 3.5" deep
