Description
Overview
An exceptionally uncommon Italian mid-century photograph frame, crafted with richly coloured natural lapis lazuli, solid 800/1000 silver fittings and a polished, dramatically banded stone reverse. The silver easel is stamped 800 and 244 MI, identifying the registered Milanese silversmith Eredi Mazzetti. The form and hallmark style are consistent with production circa the 1950s.
Its intensely saturated ultramarine-blue lapis, with distinctive golden pyrite-like inclusions, surrounds a restrained, stepped silver picture aperture. Seen from the back, the freestanding easel reveals another decorative feature: a glossy stone panel with flowing earthy brown, rust, cream and green-grey bands, visually reminiscent of banded onyx. The precise mineral identity of this back panel has not been independently tested.
This listing is for the photo frame alone. The coordinating pocket lighter shown in some photographs is not included and is offered separately.
The vintage portrait shown inside the frame in selected photographs is a display insert for presentation only; it is not included in the sale.
Key Details
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Object: Freestanding vintage tabletop photograph frame
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Maker: Eredi Mazzetti, Milan, Italy (identified by the registered 244 MI hallmark)
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Period: Circa 1950s; mid-20th century, based on hallmark type and design
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Origin: Milan, Italy
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Front: Natural lapis lazuli with deep blue colouring and golden mineral flecks
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Metal: Solid Italian 800 silver picture surround and easel fittings, as represented by the seller; the easel is visibly hallmarked
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Back: Polished, multicoloured banded decorative stone, onyx-like in appearance
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Display: Portrait orientation with hinged easel support
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Silver marks: 800 and 244 MI, photographed in detail
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Quantity: One vintage frame; an individual collector's piece
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Inventory reference: SP-SD-019
The Silversmith: Eredi Mazzetti of Milan
The registration number 244 MI is attributed in the Italian 20th-century silversmiths' directory to Eredi Mazzetti di Pandini Evelina o Gavirati Egidio S.a.S., recorded at Via Santa Maria Valle 7, Milano. The firm's hallmark was registered on 12 October 1937, and the directory records it as active at 31 December 1971.
Italian silver hallmarking also offers a useful dating clue. The numbered provincial lozenge without a five-pointed star is characteristic of the system used from 1944 until the change introduced in 1968. This supports a mid-century attribution, although the precise year of manufacture cannot be determined from the mark alone.
Natural Lapis Lazuli and Banded Stone
The front displays the characteristic vivid blue-and-gold appearance associated with lapis lazuli, a decorative stone long prized in jewellery, objet d'art and luxury furnishings. Its mineral pattern gives each section of the frame a distinctive character. The reverse is particularly striking in its own right, with warm, closely spaced natural-looking bands under a polished finish.
Material descriptions reflect the seller's identification and visual inspection. Independent laboratory reports for the lapis lazuli and the reverse stone are not supplied.
Condition
Presented in vintage condition with signs of age and handling consistent with an older decorative object. The stone surfaces, silver fittings, hallmark detail and hinged support are shown in the accompanying photographs, which form part of the condition description. Please examine all images closely.
For Collectors
Combining lapis lazuli, Italian 800 silver and a documented Milanese maker's registration, this is a distinctive and difficult-to-source example of mid-century decorative craftsmanship. Equally suited to a refined writing desk, display cabinet or curated collection of Italian silver and hardstone objects.
Coordinating Lighter — Available Separately
A visually coordinating blue pocket lighter appears in selected reference photographs. It is not included with this frame. The two objects are listed and priced independently.
Explore the matching pocket lighter — sold separately
421Luxury | Authenticity, Packaging & Shipping
421Luxury guarantees the authenticity of the vintage object as described. Carefully packaged to protect both stone and silver, and dispatched from Turin, Italy, with signature-required delivery where available. For ongoing care, avoid drops, abrasive polishes and harsh cleaning chemicals on the stone surfaces.
