Richard Feroze Scagliola - Specialist Manufacture & Consultancy

Inlaid scagliola work first began to appear in Europe around 1600, on both sides of the Alps. In Bavaria, it was restricted to the secular palaces of the Wittelsbach rulers, in and around Munich. In Italy, particularly Emilia Romana, it was used extensively to make altar pieces for the many Catholic churches that were being built or refurbished during the Counter Reformation.

In both cases, the inspiration for this work came from the internationally renowned inlaid marble work (pietra dura) that was being produced by the Galleria dei Lavori in Florence, a state controlled enterprise set up in 1588 by Ferdinand 1 of Medici.