Accession No
6267
Brief Description
pomological set of twenty-four wax apples, in display case, attributed to Francesco Garnier Valletti, made for Istituto Botanico Della Regia Universita Di Torino (Botanical institute of the Royal University of Turin), Italian, c. 1850
Origin
Italy; Turin
Maker
Valletti, Francesco Garnier [attributed]
Class
biology; natural history; demonstration
Earliest Date
1830
Latest Date
1858
Inscription Date
Material
wax; paint; wood (pine; other)
Dimensions
[Largest apple diameter:] 97mm [Smallest apple diameter:] 57mm [Display case:]
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Dorotheum Auction House, Palais Dorotheum, A-1010 Wien, Dorotheergasse 17, Austria. Lot 154 in Historische Wissenschaftliche Instrumente und Globen sale, 29/10/2008.
Inscription
[On case]
ISTITUTO BOTANICO
DELLA RA UNIVERSITA DI TORINO
Description Notes
Pomological set of twenty-four wax apples, in display case, from the Botanical Institute of the Royal University of Turin, Italian, c. 1850.
Hand painted, life-size wax models of 24 different cultivars of the apple fruit. Fruit models range from small crab apple type cultivars to large, cooking apple type cultivars. Models are intricately painted, and include realistic features such as bruises and skin damage.
In a fitted wooden display case, with 24 separate seats for the models to sit on. The top section of the case, which contains the inscription, appears to be original, but other sections of the case, such as the backing and seats, appear to be more recent additions. The case front is open, and does not appear to have ever had glass fitted to it.
References
Events
Description
Pomological models of fruits and vegetables were used in the context of agricultural fairs and expositions, and as teaching models at institutions such as the Comizio Agrario and the Accademia Reale per l’Agricoltura (Royal Academy of Agriculture) in order to instruct and improve a student’s knowledge of agricultural crops. This pomological set of wax apples is from the Botanical Institute of the Royal University of Turin and was likely produced by a local artisan and modeler, Francesco Garnier Valletti (1808–1889), who made a wide variety of wax fruits during the late nineteenth century. Valletti became well-known for his wax-fruit models during the 1850s and in 1858 developed new techniques for modeling fruit: in place of wax Valletti used a mixture of alabaster dust meshed with natural waxes, plaster, vegetal ash and rosin. The result was an uncanny resemblance to the real fruit. If this collection of apples is Valletti’s work, it represents his earlier modeling techniques being made entirely from wax.
In 2007, Museo Della Frutta was opened in Turin, which holds over one thousand models of fruit and vegetable that Valletti produced for the Royal Academy of Agriculture.
05/11/2013
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 05/11/2013
FM:46750
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