Pair of Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Gilt & Painted Boiserie Panels - 16¼" x 10¾"

This pair of petite Italian carved boiserie panels dates to the mid- to late 18th century. Each rectangular plaque has a molded surround painted in muted celadon green, framing a shaped reserve with crisp high-relief rocaille carving that combines foliate scrolls with playful aviary and pavilion motifs. The gilding is warmly burnished and softly rubbed. One panel shows a vertical shrinkage crack, the other a shorter split, with scattered edge wear and small losses, all accentuating a charming, timeworn presence that brings a quiet touch of poetry.

The delicate interplay of gilding against a sage-green ground was favored in palazzo interiors, where candlelight animated the relief and heightened the decorative ensemble. The whimsical aviary and pavilion motifs connect these panels to the chinoiserie decoration so prized by European aristocracy in the 18th century, reflecting a cultivated taste for exotic fantasy filtered through the Rococo imagination.

Today the panels read as refined sculptural wall art. They may be hung above a console, flanking a mirror in a powder room, or placed in a study to lend atmosphere and gentle shimmer. Their intimate scale and understated palette invite poetry into the room, harmonizing with contemporary furnishings, layered textiles, and patinated metals, while adding an elegant, timeless note of age and character to both classic and modern interiors.