Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure From the Palaces of Europe September 4, 2008

This will be the most comprehensive exhibition to date on the tradition of hardstone carving (pietre dure) that developed in Italy in the 16th century and subsequently spread through Europe. Renaissance masters working in Rome cut colored marbles and laid them in geometrically patterned tabletops, while Milanese artisans preferred to cut designs in rock crystal, lapis lazuli, and other precious materials.