Lectern

This dramatic piece was designed to hold a large book or possibly music. Yet it stands so tall and is so richly carved that it may have been intended more as decoration than for practical use. Since the carvings contain no religious symbolism, the lectern may have adorned a private palace rather than a church. The gold-colored surface is actually silver leaf coated with yellow-tinted varnish. The result looks like gold but cost considerably less. This technique, called "argento meccato," is often found on eighteenth-century furniture from southern Italy.