1970s Sylvia Wood's Console and Mirror - Set of 2

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This is console set was purchased by and owned by Sylvia Woods (February 2, 1926 – July 19, 2012). It … Read more This is console set was purchased by and owned by Sylvia Woods (February 2, 1926 – July 19, 2012). It was in her home until it was auctioned to me in 2017. Sylvia was the founder of Sylvia's Restaurant (328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027). Sylvia's is a Harlem landmark serving generous helpings of Southern comfort food since 1962. She is often referred to as the Queen of sole food.

This console and mirror are a vintage reproduction of Italian Rococo console set. Console table with matching mirror made in the Rococo style of kiln dried solid beech wood, hand carved, hand painted. It was first painted with a dark undercoat, then a cream or ivory colored crackle paint and then highlighted with pastel-colored accents. Italian Rococo (early 18th century to around the 1760s) was mainly inspired by French Rococo, since France was the founding nation of that particular style. The styles of the Italian Rococo were very similar to those of France. The style in Italy was usually lighter and more feminine than Italian Baroque art and became the more popular art form of the Sette cento (Italian Baroque). Characterized by lightness, ornate carving and piercings, elegance, and an exuberant use of curving, natural forms in ornamentation. Delicate interlacing of curves and counter curves based on the fundamental shapes of the “C” and the “S,” as well as with shell forms and other natural shapes. Asymmetrical design was the rule. Light pastels, ivory, white, and gold were the predominant colors, and Rococo decorators frequently used mirrors to enhance the sense of open space.

The condition and provenance make this a unique and beautiful piece. See less