An Italian antique 19th century scagliola circular table top

An Italian antique 19th century scagliola circular table top
Italian, 19th Century
Height 1.5cm, diameter 90cm
 
This superb piece is a beautiful antique Italian circular table top, made from scagliola, a type of plaster often used in decorative arts and architecture in order to imitate various other materials including marble and precious stone. Made in Italy during the time of the Grand Tour, it features to the centre a wonderful city/landscape scene, framed with a remarkably bright decorative blue border.
 
The central image shows a pair of figures to the front alongside some cattle, beneath a statue to the right and Classical ruins extending away in the background. The image, adorned liberally to the base with various tones and colours in various areas, is beautifully executed, with a lively, artistic touch, reminiscent of earlier Renaissance drawings and sketches. The landscape is also reminiscent of the 'Campo Vaccino' - the Roman Forum during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance period, when the majority of the forum was buried underground and the land was used for the grazing of cattle.
 
The table top is framed within an elegant, decorative rich bright blue border, with a series of black bands and rings of beads between the table edge and the image to the centre. A beautiful piece, it is a fine example of antique Italian wares in the time of the Grand Tour.