Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

view of stone 359

Corsi 359, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History

OUMNH Number: 359  
Name and quarry location: Alabastro di Busca, from Busca, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy  
Geological description: Banded compact calcite travertine. Note bands of granular white calcite. Specimen has a particularly high polish.  
Comments: Jervis (1889) describes this stone as a honey-yellow, and Merrill (1893) wrote 'A rich honey-yellow marble... occurs in caverns in Archean limestone at Busca, Cuneo province, and may be seen worked up in the royal palace in Turin.' Note that both Corsi's specimens (359 and 360) are more of an orange shade of brown than his alabastri di tartarugi. This beautiful travertine filled fractures in limestone in a quarry between Busca and Dronero. It was quarried from the 17th century until the early 20th century and was used by the Roman scalpellini.  
References: Corsi (1825) 101-102; FNF (1939) 33; Jervis (1873) 34; Jervis (1889) 46; Merrill (1893) 580; Price (2007) 52  
Further information: Alabaster-travertine.pdf
 


Corsi's classification: Class 1. Marbles; Section 4. Concretionary marbles; Species 1. Alabasters; ii. Italian alabasters  
Corsi's text: 101.26 Altro dello stesso luogo [Alabastro di Busca in Piemonte]  

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