Table
1575 - 1600 (made), 1880- 1890 (made), (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The central slab of marble seen here is Aquitanian marble from a cave in the Aubert region of the Pyrenees (nicknamed 'the cave of forgetfulness'). This type of marble, also known as Grand Antique marble or Bianco e nero antico (black and white antique), was highly prized in Roman times.
By the 19th century this specific kind of marble was so rare that the interest of patrons of tables like the present piece was focused on displaying the antique stone. The border design of the slab is closely related to 16th century Roman examples, whereas the table reinterprets the style of French furniture from the period of Louis XIV.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
By the 19th century this specific kind of marble was so rare that the interest of patrons of tables like the present piece was focused on displaying the antique stone. The border design of the slab is closely related to 16th century Roman examples, whereas the table reinterprets the style of French furniture from the period of Louis XIV.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Pietre dure, marble and fruitwood, carved |
| Brief description | Rectangular tabletop with pietre dure, marble, Rome, probably late sixteenth century, the fruitwood stand, probably France, 1880-90 |
| Physical description | Rectangular tabletop, the central panel consists of fragments of Grand Antique marble or Bianco e nero antico ('black and white antique'). The centre panel is edged with a wave pattern in yellow and old rose. The outer border of brocatello has a series of cartouches, with shields at each corner and arabesque patterns of black marble, fior di pesco, onyx, lapis lazuli, alabaster and giallo antico (yellow antique marble). The outer rim of the tabletop is of verde antico marble. The baroque-style base is carved fruitwood. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: The Right Honourable the Lord Margadale of Islay. Sale, Christie's, Fonthill House, Tisbury,Wiltshire, lot 30, 01/11/1971 Historical significance: A 16th century table with similar central panel and border design was in the collection of Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) and is now in the Louvre, Paris. A similar table, formerly in the Farnese Collection, is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
| Historical context | The antique black and white marble used for the central panel was highly prized in Roman times. It was quarried from a cave in the Aubert region of the Pyrenees, nicknamed 'the cave of forgetfulness'. |
| Summary | The central slab of marble seen here is Aquitanian marble from a cave in the Aubert region of the Pyrenees (nicknamed 'the cave of forgetfulness'). This type of marble, also known as Grand Antique marble or Bianco e nero antico (black and white antique), was highly prized in Roman times. By the 19th century this specific kind of marble was so rare that the interest of patrons of tables like the present piece was focused on displaying the antique stone. The border design of the slab is closely related to 16th century Roman examples, whereas the table reinterprets the style of French furniture from the period of Louis XIV. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Bibliographic reference | Massinelli, Anna Maria with contributions by Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel. Hardstones: The Gilbert Collection. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 329 p., ill. Cat. no. 19, pp. 78-79. ISBN 0856675105. |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.76:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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