Circular two-tiered table, inlaid with the cipher of Marie Antoinette. Paris or London, mid-19th century

Circular table on three legs. The substrate is of oak and mahogany veneered with sycamore and padouk. The table sits on castors and is mounted with gilt-brass.

The table is two-tiered. A circular shelf, framed by a gilt-brass gallery, joins the legs at their mid-point. Below this shelf the legs are curved to the ground, above the shelf the legs are straight. At the top of the table is a circular case, accessed via the table top which forms a lockable, hinged lid. Inside this case are fittings for toilet accessories, the whole interior lined with blue silk and satin.

The top is inlaid with the cipher 'MA' for Marie Antoinette.

Bequeathed by John Jones

This table was bequeathed to the Museum in 1882 as part of a large collection given by the military tailor John Jones.

This table was made in the 19th-century in imitation of a French 18th-century form. The V&A has several circular 18th-century worktables in its collection, including two from John Jones' collection, both mounted with porcelain plaques (Museum numbers: 1058-1882 and 1067-1882).

This table was made in the mid-19th century in imitation of an 18th-century form. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries it was fashionable to collect French fine and decorative art of the 18th century. Objects with historical, royal and aristocratic associations were especially prized. The maker of this table has inlaid its top with the cipher of Marie Antoinette, presumably to associate it with the French royal family.

1110-1882