Acroterion Desk Accessories

A finely crafted circular pietra dura plaque, likely originating from Italy during the mid-to-late 19th century, this specimen marble and hardstone inlaid chessboard combines decorat...

We are delighted to offer for sale this extremely collectable original Victorian Marble Grand Tour Roman Ruin statue of columns A wonderful original piece, this is a desk sized co...

The round paperweight framed in black marble, with porphyry and sienna marble and other marble specimens. The center in sienna marble with carved bea...

English, 19th century. An exceptional and rare pair of Grand Tour period Neoclassical columns. Each column has a stepped bronze and white marble plinth and base that is separated b...

The 7 1/4" ruler with 8 different specimens inset with in a black marble frame.

Achitectural Model of the Temple of Saturn Roman Forum Bronze and Marble Grand Tour 9 x 8 x 3.3 cm Base: 1.2 cm

An Italian Grand Tour rosso antico red marble model of Trajan’s Column, circa 1840. Once a Grand Tour souvenir acquired by an adventurer exploring Europe, this decorative model colu...

Grand Tour Roman Temple Souvenir – A Timeless Masterpiece in Blackened Wood. Transport yourself to the grandeur of classical antiquity with this exquisite Grand Tour Roman Temple So...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlai...

The white ground inlaid with specimen marbles and porphyry with ridges on 2 sides

Marquette of the temple of Castor and Pollux Bronze with marble base 19th century 13.2 x 7.2 x 2.7 cm Base: 1.2 cm high

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlaid with a sumptuous arrangement of semi-precious stones including malachite, agate, onyx and amethyst. It is beautifully inlaid on a slate base. Not only is this desk paperweight very functional, but it is also an exquisite mineralogical wonder that can be admired by all discerning collectors. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation, Dimensions in cm: Height 2 x Width 17 x Depth 10 Dimensions in inches: Height 1 inch x width 7 inches x depth 4 inches. Pietra dura is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished coloured stones to create images. It is considered a decorative art. Pietre dure is an Italian plural meaning "hard rocks" or hardstones; the singular pietra dura is also encountered in Italian. In Italian, but not in English, the term embraces all gem engraving and hardstone carving, which is the artistic carving of three-dimensional objects in semi-precious stone, normally from a single piece, for example in Chinese jade. The traditional convention in English has been to use the singular pietra dura just to denote multi-colored inlay work. However, in recent years there has been a trend to use pietre dure as a term for the same thing, but not for all of the techniques it covers, in Italian. But the title of a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe used the full Italian sense of the term, probably because they thought that it had greater brand recognition. The material on the website speaks of objects such as a vase in lapis lazuli as being examples of "hardstone carving (pietre dure)" The Victoria & Albert Museum in London uses both versions on its website, but uses pietra dura. "A method of inlaying coloured marbles or semi-precious stones into a stone base, often in geometric or flower patterns...." Giovanni Montelatici...