Bound in tavoletta di Biccherna with a wooden core and paint - Lot 41

Bound in tavoletta di Biccherna with a wooden core and painted decoration on a gold ground and punched representing on one side Saint Mary Magdalene and on the other twelve coats of arms surrounding an inscription mentioning the year 1465 which can be read as follows: ADI: PRIMO: DIGENAIO: M:CCCCLXV: ALTENPO: DELVENERABILE: HUOMO:GHINODINICEOLO DANDREA :K:O:B EDIGUICOIARDO DI GIROLAMO: STATI:ALL[OOFFITIO:DICABE[.]LA:DEL MAGNIFICO: COMUNO: DI: SIENA:PERSEI:MESI:SPRIMA. Ironwork elements Siena, Sienese forger Icilio Federico Joni (Siena, 1866 - 1946), circa 1900 Height: 38 cm - Width: 28 cm - Total width: 56 cm (accidents and missing parts, notably the frame) Icilio Federico Joni (Siena 1866-1946) was an Italian painter and forger, famous for his masterful imitations of medieval and Renaissance art, particularly the Sienese school. From an early age, he worked in a gilding workshop, where he developed his skills in wood, plaster and paint. Initially a restorer, Joni soon turned to forgery, taking advantage of the growing demand for antique art. He created works imitating Trecento and Quattrocento styles, such as triptychs, painted panels and bindings inspired by Siena's "tavolette di Biccherna". His works were sold as authentic to European and American collectors. He sometimes signed his creations with the provocative acronym "PAICAP", meaning "Per Andare In Culo Al Prossimo". (In 1932, Joni published his autobiography, Le memorie di un pittore di quadri antichi, in which he detailed his techniques for artificially aging works and his thoughts on art and counterfeiting. Today, his works are studied for their artistic quality and their role in the history of counterfeiting. Institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art own pieces attributed to Joni.