{"product_id":"19th-century-italian-renaissance-venetian-tete-a-tete-courting-bench-w-cherubs","title":"19th Century Italian Renaissance Venetian Tête-à-Tête Courting Bench w\/ Cherubs","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn exceptionally rare and romantic work of art, this 19th-century Italian Tête-à-Tête, also known as a Vis-à-Vis or Courting Bench, is the ultimate symbol of 19th-century salon elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned for intimate conversation, the S-shaped form allows two sitters to face each other while remaining gracefully close – a form invented for flirtation and sophisticated parlor discourse in Venice and France. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe craftsmanship is nothing short of extraordinary. The serpentine rail is a continuous sculpture of deeply hand-carved acanthus scrolls, foliate swags, fruit clusters, and sea-shell motifs, culminating in two finely carved cherub or grotesque masks at the crests – one serene, one playful – typical of Venetian Baroque grotesque carving. The supports are pierced, winged griffin-like splats intertwined with dolphins and foliage, while the apron and legs feature further Renaissance arabesques, turned and block-carved balusters, and original brass capped feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wood retains its beautifully bleached, dry-scraped patina that reveals centuries of wormwood character and age, a finish highly prized by collectors of Italian antique furniture and impossible to replicate. Both seats have been newly upholstered in a refined natural Belgian linen, providing a serene contrast to the exuberance of the carving..\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"_9415d43e\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eDimensions:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-dimensions\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-height\" class=\"_fe6d36b6 _cb16180a\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eHeight: 32 in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-width\" class=\"_fe6d36b6 _cb16180a\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eWidth: 51 in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-depth\" class=\"_fe6d36b6 _cb16180a\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eDepth: 27 in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-secondaryHeight\" class=\"_fe6d36b6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eSeat Height: 17 in\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eSold As:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-sold-as\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-setSize\" class=\"_fe6d36b6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eSet of 1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eStyle:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-style\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003eBaroque\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eMaterials and Techniques:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-materials-and-techniques\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003eLinen,  Wood\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003ePlace of Origin:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-place-of-origin\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003eItaly\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eDate of Manufacture:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-date-of-manufacture\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-dateOfManufacture\" class=\"_fe6d36b6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003e19th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"_9ab89a9d\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-title\" class=\"_51822ac7 _3681075f\"\u003eCondition:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-tn=\"pdp-spec-condition\" class=\"_49da11ae _3681075f\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-condition\" class=\"_fe6d36b6 _cb16180a\"\u003e\u003cbutton type=\"button\" data-tn=\"open-condition-modal\" class=\"_1862016c _57a9be25\"\u003eDistressed\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-tn=\"pdp-spec-detail-conditionDetails\" class=\"_fe6d36b6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_57a9be25\"\u003eWear consistent with age and use. The paint is worn in places and exposes the wood underneath.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Melissa Levinson Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51502317273394,"sku":"MLA1400","price":6800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0850\/4321\/6690\/files\/f_51054582_1784401902028_bg_processed.jpg?v=1784760132","url":"https:\/\/melissalevinson.com\/products\/19th-century-italian-renaissance-venetian-tete-a-tete-courting-bench-w-cherubs","provider":"Melissa Levinson Antiques ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}