18th-century carved walnut Savonarola (also called Gondola or Dante Throne Chair). It was such a pleasure to work on this piece. It's an incredible, completely hand-crafted and carved Savonarola, featuring large and intricately detailed matching lion's head arms with acanthus leaf and filigree relief carving on its back. Savonarola chairs originated in medieval Italy (my homeland), and quickly spread through Renaissance Europe. Because of its simplicity, it is one of the oldest forms of chair or stool, with examples reaching back to the 2nd millennium bc. This example consists of a wooden flat-arched back rail carved with a coat-of-arms in low relief and connected to the back of the straight arms of the chair. The seat is made of narrowly fitted wooden slats. The wood used in the construction of the chair is the typical walnut, as in other gothic and renaissance furniture.

Before: shot of the Savonarola's large, hand-carved gargoyle head. The gargoyle is a fantasy and horror monster inspired by the mascaron architectural element.

After: shot of the Savonarola's large, hand-carved mascaron head. A mascaron ornament is a face, usually human, sometimes frightening or chimeric whose alleged function was originally to frighten away evil spirits so that they would not enter the building.

Partial reconstruction of the carved gargoyle face. Gargoyles were also intended to symbolise 'guardianship' of the building and to ward off evil spirits.