Table
1840 - 1860 (made)
| Place of origin |
Popularised by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, a revival of the 'Marie-Antoinette style' led to a wave of17th century furniture styles in the mid 19th century. A bureau plat like this would originally be made of marquetry or ebonised wood, here the use of pietre dure gives a distinctly Italian flavour to a typically French form.
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.
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
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 5 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Pietre dure, marble, gilt bronze, ebonised wood |
| Brief description | Rectangular writing table of ebonised wood with gilt bronze mounts, pietre dure, marble, lapis lazuli. Florence and Paris, 1840-60 |
| Physical description | Rectangular writing table composed of ebonised wood with gilt bronze mounts. Each leg is surmounted by a gilt bronze female bust, the sides and front of the desk inlaid with panels of pietre dure depicting flowers and fruit. The front of the desk has two gilt bronze mounts in the form of bearded heads. The table top is of black marble with pietre dure depictions of flowers and fruit within a rectangular band of lapis lazuli, a band of floral inlay and an outer band of red marble. |
| 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: Enzo Constantini, Rome, 1971. |
| Summary | Popularised by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, a revival of the 'Marie-Antoinette style' led to a wave of17th century furniture styles in the mid 19th century. A bureau plat like this would originally be made of marquetry or ebonised wood, here the use of pietre dure gives a distinctly Italian flavour to a typically French form. 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. 34, pp. 106-107. ISBN 0856675105. |
| Other number | MM 111 - Arthur Gilbert Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.889:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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