AN ITALIAN SPECIMEN MARBLE TABLE TOPProbably Rome, 17th centuryWith a central panel ofalabastra fiorito, raised on four later marble supports.width 88 5/8in (225.2cm); depth 53 5/8in (136.3cm); height of supports 17in (43cm)For further information on this lot please visit theProvenance: ProvenanceGalerie Camoin, Paris, 11 June 1984.The Roman technique of intarsio andmesso work is visible in this outstanding table top. Intarsio is an ancient technique of carving out a white marble slab in shaped geometric form and then inlaying them with cut out marble pieces that fit perfectly into the cut-out shapes. This gives the inset marble pieces a contrasting white frame, highlighting the pieces of geometric specimen marble.messo work is a mosaic technique of inlaying rare colored hardstones (pietra dure) where the underlying marble is not visible, to form a design. The origins of this work lie in ancient Rome and was revived during the Renaissance.Early inlaid marble tabletops made during the Renaissance in Rome were of geometric designs, just as seen in wall paneling and floors in architecture. It is most likely this tabletop was made in Rome based on the technique and patterns used. The focus on the alabaster in the middle surrounded by a strapwork border and the absence of figural decoration shows the early revival of the ancient technique.