Large Baroque Pasqui Family Coat of Arms

Large baroque coat of arms enclosed within a crumpled box, made of poplar painted in polychrome and partially gilded, Florence, early 18th century. The crumpled piece is characterized by a symmetrical design composed of volutes of strong architectural style and is surmounted by a mask placed within leafy elements in the form of wings, while in the lower section it presents a laurel festoon which, developing from the sides, ends up serve as a background. Lambrecchini, bows with galls and a rosette-shaped button further adorn the crumpled. In the centre, placed within a shield composed of curls, stands the insignia of the Pasqui family (‘D’azzurro, alla fede di complexion, […], surmounted by an eight-pointed gold star’), flanked by a red and gold bandit. Gold is used both to create some of the decorations and to define the profile of curls and volutes, helping to give the coat of arms a three-dimensional perspective effect (trompe-l’oeil). Restorations and touch-ups in the colours. The Pasqui family is a very ancient family of Tuscan origins, which since 1200 has figured in the roles of the Santo Spirito neighborhood of Florence, where it had a stable residence until 1300. It was also ascribed to Florentine citizenship in 1606.