Writing Desk (Secrétaire en pente)

Jacques Dautriche, Paris, France

About 1765

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Andromache Mourning Hector's Death, Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz, cast iron
Small, delicate egg cup in the form of a tulip with splayed foot highlighted in puce, stem highlighted in blue and the egg cup itself comprised of four yellow petals feathered in shades of brown, black and blue.
Octagonal black basalt medallion with relief sacrificial scene
Papal medallion cast, Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), reigned as pope from 6 August 1623 to his death in 1644. He expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts and a reformer of Church missions. However, the massive debts incurred during his pontificate greatly weakened his successors, who were unable to maintain the papacy's longstanding political and military influence in Europe. He was also involved in a controversy with Galileo and his theory on heliocentrism during his reign. He is the most recent pope to date to take the pontifical name of Urban upon being elected as pope.