Panelled Room
ca. 1780 - ca.1790 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A small oval panelled room, of carved, painted and gilded softwood, the wall panels and the shallow domed ceiling set with panels of mirror glass. The gilding is water gilding over a gesso layer with red bole. There are double doors at either end of the room and four other pairs of doors set sym
metrically between panels of mirror glass above dado panels. The dado panels between the pairs of doors on the longer sides of the oval are set with small, semi-circular giltwood pier tables with red marble tops. The doors and panelling are carved with patterns of arabesques, centring on vases in the overdoors and all the dado panels except those to which the tables are attached. The design of the overdoors also include a semi-circular reserve on the panel, below the vase, set centrally with carved profile heads of women. Above the mirror panels are low panels with scrolls centring on oval panels carved with trophies of music, love, the arts and warfare.
Only one of the pairs of doors is decorated on the outside, with a carved and gilded trophy at its centre.
The floor is of parquetry of walnut and ash in a design of concentric zig-zags surrounding a central oval of finer parquetry with a foliate patera surrounded by a frame of small, linked oval paterae, all in the same two woods.
The shallow domed ceiling is coffered with trapezoidal panels of mirror glass, in a wooden framing, white painted and gilded, the shaping of the panels suggesting the perspective of a taller dome. Each panel of glass is set centrally with an acanthus patera, in three sizes, diminishing with the size of the panel. The centre of the dome is set with a single panel of mirror glass, with a central, oval acanthus patera. Originally the oval central section of the ceiling was smaller, and stepped vertically to a higher level than the line of the lower dome. A section was removed (and parts remain in store) to allow the room to be reconstructed in the Museum. This shows that the vertical frieze was white painted and set with gilded star-like flower paterae.
Design:
The shallow skirting board all around is painted black. The walls are articulated by the door cases and the overdoors, which are together outlined by a single arch of moulding carved with upright leaf ornament. Within that, the door-cases and the overdoors are each outlined with a similar moulding, the same separating each leaf of the pairs of doors.
Each leaf of each door is divided into a dado panel below a main panel, separated by a horizontal frieze panel, by mouldings carved with wrapped ribbon motifs. The dado panels are carved with addorsed foliate S-scrolls, rising from a central anthemion and ending in round flower heads. The horizontal panels are carved with addorsed scrolls of foliage, with central round flower heads. The main panels are carved with complex patterns of scrolling foliage symmetrically set either side of a central stem carved with leaves, and forming a vesica shape in the centre with a heart shape above. Only one pair of leaves is decorated on the outer side with a carved and gilded trophy.
Above the doors is set a narrow, horizontal panel, outlined with the double bead and and elongated diamond motif, enclosing a serpentine design of foliage, punctuated by three fleur-de-lys type motifs. Above this, an almost square panel, with a half-round recess in the lower border, is outlined with a wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding, enclosing a design centring on a tall vase, gadrooned in the lower half, with double foliate scrolls emerging from the base on either side, the upper ones curling over to form a heart shape linked at the top by a wreath above the vase. The semi-circular inset to the base is set with a conforming frame of wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding with, centrally, an oval panel hanging from a ribbon bow, on which is carved the head of a woman in profile, above crossed branches, possibly of myrtle.
Between the pairs of doors, dado panels are set with two concentric rectangles of moulding with concave inner edge, the outer of the two with a continuous band of double beads interspersed with an elongated diamond shape. The centre is set with a carving of an urn on a bracket, with double laurel swags beneath, the run with a pierced cover, from which rises curls of smoke. A horizontal moulding of egg-and-dart above triple beads interspersed with elongated diamonds marks out the dado from the main panel. On this the mirror panel is framed with a moulding carved with egg-and-dart, the 'eggs' embellished with round beads carved into the centre. Below, a narrow panel is set with tied laurel or myrtle. Above, a slightly deeper panel is carved with a central oval with a trophy set between symmetrical scrolls with foliage, ending at each side with a tall, tapering vase holding flowers. In total there are six trophies, most which are related to the arts. Clockwise from the entrance into the room, these are as follows:
1. A globe crossed with a telescope and possibly a rolled map
2. A palette crossed with paintbrushes, pens and a pair of compasses
3. A horn crossed with a trumpet and oboe
4. A quiver of arrows crossed with a bow and a flaming torch
5. Panpipes crossed with an umbrella, snake and an oboe
6. A spear crossed with a halberd, shield and standard
The frames for the two console tables are attached to the dado panels in the centre of each long side, which carry the same framing mouldings as the other dado panels. The support of each takes the form of an applied panel of trumpet shape, edged with a fillet that scrolls over at the top. This is set with a central reserve filled with carving in the gesso of alternate narrow bands of zig-zag and ribbed decoration, giving the appearance of fabric. To the front of this is attached a single columnar support in high relief, with enriched fluting and an upper double collar of acanthus, spreading out to support a board, onto which the frieze section of the table is built. This shows two pierced sections, with interlinked circles, between solid sections at each outer edge, carved with a square patera within a frame, and a central rectangular, breakfront section, carved with a double scroll of foliage, ending in round flower heads. The back of the table at frieze height is painted on its front surface in a deep red, which is read as the background to the pierced sections of frieze. An egg-and-dart moulding runs just under the marble slab, which is cut with a moulded edge. The marble is probably cipollino rosso or rosso brecciato.
metrically between panels of mirror glass above dado panels. The dado panels between the pairs of doors on the longer sides of the oval are set with small, semi-circular giltwood pier tables with red marble tops. The doors and panelling are carved with patterns of arabesques, centring on vases in the overdoors and all the dado panels except those to which the tables are attached. The design of the overdoors also include a semi-circular reserve on the panel, below the vase, set centrally with carved profile heads of women. Above the mirror panels are low panels with scrolls centring on oval panels carved with trophies of music, love, the arts and warfare.
Only one of the pairs of doors is decorated on the outside, with a carved and gilded trophy at its centre.
The floor is of parquetry of walnut and ash in a design of concentric zig-zags surrounding a central oval of finer parquetry with a foliate patera surrounded by a frame of small, linked oval paterae, all in the same two woods.
The shallow domed ceiling is coffered with trapezoidal panels of mirror glass, in a wooden framing, white painted and gilded, the shaping of the panels suggesting the perspective of a taller dome. Each panel of glass is set centrally with an acanthus patera, in three sizes, diminishing with the size of the panel. The centre of the dome is set with a single panel of mirror glass, with a central, oval acanthus patera. Originally the oval central section of the ceiling was smaller, and stepped vertically to a higher level than the line of the lower dome. A section was removed (and parts remain in store) to allow the room to be reconstructed in the Museum. This shows that the vertical frieze was white painted and set with gilded star-like flower paterae.
Design:
The shallow skirting board all around is painted black. The walls are articulated by the door cases and the overdoors, which are together outlined by a single arch of moulding carved with upright leaf ornament. Within that, the door-cases and the overdoors are each outlined with a similar moulding, the same separating each leaf of the pairs of doors.
Each leaf of each door is divided into a dado panel below a main panel, separated by a horizontal frieze panel, by mouldings carved with wrapped ribbon motifs. The dado panels are carved with addorsed foliate S-scrolls, rising from a central anthemion and ending in round flower heads. The horizontal panels are carved with addorsed scrolls of foliage, with central round flower heads. The main panels are carved with complex patterns of scrolling foliage symmetrically set either side of a central stem carved with leaves, and forming a vesica shape in the centre with a heart shape above. Only one pair of leaves is decorated on the outer side with a carved and gilded trophy.
Above the doors is set a narrow, horizontal panel, outlined with the double bead and and elongated diamond motif, enclosing a serpentine design of foliage, punctuated by three fleur-de-lys type motifs. Above this, an almost square panel, with a half-round recess in the lower border, is outlined with a wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding, enclosing a design centring on a tall vase, gadrooned in the lower half, with double foliate scrolls emerging from the base on either side, the upper ones curling over to form a heart shape linked at the top by a wreath above the vase. The semi-circular inset to the base is set with a conforming frame of wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding with, centrally, an oval panel hanging from a ribbon bow, on which is carved the head of a woman in profile, above crossed branches, possibly of myrtle.
Between the pairs of doors, dado panels are set with two concentric rectangles of moulding with concave inner edge, the outer of the two with a continuous band of double beads interspersed with an elongated diamond shape. The centre is set with a carving of an urn on a bracket, with double laurel swags beneath, the run with a pierced cover, from which rises curls of smoke. A horizontal moulding of egg-and-dart above triple beads interspersed with elongated diamonds marks out the dado from the main panel. On this the mirror panel is framed with a moulding carved with egg-and-dart, the 'eggs' embellished with round beads carved into the centre. Below, a narrow panel is set with tied laurel or myrtle. Above, a slightly deeper panel is carved with a central oval with a trophy set between symmetrical scrolls with foliage, ending at each side with a tall, tapering vase holding flowers. In total there are six trophies, most which are related to the arts. Clockwise from the entrance into the room, these are as follows:
1. A globe crossed with a telescope and possibly a rolled map
2. A palette crossed with paintbrushes, pens and a pair of compasses
3. A horn crossed with a trumpet and oboe
4. A quiver of arrows crossed with a bow and a flaming torch
5. Panpipes crossed with an umbrella, snake and an oboe
6. A spear crossed with a halberd, shield and standard
The frames for the two console tables are attached to the dado panels in the centre of each long side, which carry the same framing mouldings as the other dado panels. The support of each takes the form of an applied panel of trumpet shape, edged with a fillet that scrolls over at the top. This is set with a central reserve filled with carving in the gesso of alternate narrow bands of zig-zag and ribbed decoration, giving the appearance of fabric. To the front of this is attached a single columnar support in high relief, with enriched fluting and an upper double collar of acanthus, spreading out to support a board, onto which the frieze section of the table is built. This shows two pierced sections, with interlinked circles, between solid sections at each outer edge, carved with a square patera within a frame, and a central rectangular, breakfront section, carved with a double scroll of foliage, ending in round flower heads. The back of the table at frieze height is painted on its front surface in a deep red, which is read as the background to the pierced sections of frieze. An egg-and-dart moulding runs just under the marble slab, which is cut with a moulded edge. The marble is probably cipollino rosso or rosso brecciato.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 156 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Softwood, carved, painted and gilded, the ceiling set with panels of mirror glass; floor marquetry of walnut and ash; iron hinges and door furniture |
| Brief description | Small oval panelled room, set with carved, painted and gilded panels and panels of mirror glass. North Italian, probably from Lombardy, c.1780-90 |
| Physical description | A small oval panelled room, of carved, painted and gilded softwood, the wall panels and the shallow domed ceiling set with panels of mirror glass. The gilding is water gilding over a gesso layer with red bole. There are double doors at either end of the room and four other pairs of doors set sym metrically between panels of mirror glass above dado panels. The dado panels between the pairs of doors on the longer sides of the oval are set with small, semi-circular giltwood pier tables with red marble tops. The doors and panelling are carved with patterns of arabesques, centring on vases in the overdoors and all the dado panels except those to which the tables are attached. The design of the overdoors also include a semi-circular reserve on the panel, below the vase, set centrally with carved profile heads of women. Above the mirror panels are low panels with scrolls centring on oval panels carved with trophies of music, love, the arts and warfare. Only one of the pairs of doors is decorated on the outside, with a carved and gilded trophy at its centre. The floor is of parquetry of walnut and ash in a design of concentric zig-zags surrounding a central oval of finer parquetry with a foliate patera surrounded by a frame of small, linked oval paterae, all in the same two woods. The shallow domed ceiling is coffered with trapezoidal panels of mirror glass, in a wooden framing, white painted and gilded, the shaping of the panels suggesting the perspective of a taller dome. Each panel of glass is set centrally with an acanthus patera, in three sizes, diminishing with the size of the panel. The centre of the dome is set with a single panel of mirror glass, with a central, oval acanthus patera. Originally the oval central section of the ceiling was smaller, and stepped vertically to a higher level than the line of the lower dome. A section was removed (and parts remain in store) to allow the room to be reconstructed in the Museum. This shows that the vertical frieze was white painted and set with gilded star-like flower paterae. Design: The shallow skirting board all around is painted black. The walls are articulated by the door cases and the overdoors, which are together outlined by a single arch of moulding carved with upright leaf ornament. Within that, the door-cases and the overdoors are each outlined with a similar moulding, the same separating each leaf of the pairs of doors. Each leaf of each door is divided into a dado panel below a main panel, separated by a horizontal frieze panel, by mouldings carved with wrapped ribbon motifs. The dado panels are carved with addorsed foliate S-scrolls, rising from a central anthemion and ending in round flower heads. The horizontal panels are carved with addorsed scrolls of foliage, with central round flower heads. The main panels are carved with complex patterns of scrolling foliage symmetrically set either side of a central stem carved with leaves, and forming a vesica shape in the centre with a heart shape above. Only one pair of leaves is decorated on the outer side with a carved and gilded trophy. Above the doors is set a narrow, horizontal panel, outlined with the double bead and and elongated diamond motif, enclosing a serpentine design of foliage, punctuated by three fleur-de-lys type motifs. Above this, an almost square panel, with a half-round recess in the lower border, is outlined with a wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding, enclosing a design centring on a tall vase, gadrooned in the lower half, with double foliate scrolls emerging from the base on either side, the upper ones curling over to form a heart shape linked at the top by a wreath above the vase. The semi-circular inset to the base is set with a conforming frame of wrapped-ribbon-carved moulding with, centrally, an oval panel hanging from a ribbon bow, on which is carved the head of a woman in profile, above crossed branches, possibly of myrtle. Between the pairs of doors, dado panels are set with two concentric rectangles of moulding with concave inner edge, the outer of the two with a continuous band of double beads interspersed with an elongated diamond shape. The centre is set with a carving of an urn on a bracket, with double laurel swags beneath, the run with a pierced cover, from which rises curls of smoke. A horizontal moulding of egg-and-dart above triple beads interspersed with elongated diamonds marks out the dado from the main panel. On this the mirror panel is framed with a moulding carved with egg-and-dart, the 'eggs' embellished with round beads carved into the centre. Below, a narrow panel is set with tied laurel or myrtle. Above, a slightly deeper panel is carved with a central oval with a trophy set between symmetrical scrolls with foliage, ending at each side with a tall, tapering vase holding flowers. In total there are six trophies, most which are related to the arts. Clockwise from the entrance into the room, these are as follows: 1. A globe crossed with a telescope and possibly a rolled map 2. A palette crossed with paintbrushes, pens and a pair of compasses 3. A horn crossed with a trumpet and oboe 4. A quiver of arrows crossed with a bow and a flaming torch 5. Panpipes crossed with an umbrella, snake and an oboe 6. A spear crossed with a halberd, shield and standard The frames for the two console tables are attached to the dado panels in the centre of each long side, which carry the same framing mouldings as the other dado panels. The support of each takes the form of an applied panel of trumpet shape, edged with a fillet that scrolls over at the top. This is set with a central reserve filled with carving in the gesso of alternate narrow bands of zig-zag and ribbed decoration, giving the appearance of fabric. To the front of this is attached a single columnar support in high relief, with enriched fluting and an upper double collar of acanthus, spreading out to support a board, onto which the frieze section of the table is built. This shows two pierced sections, with interlinked circles, between solid sections at each outer edge, carved with a square patera within a frame, and a central rectangular, breakfront section, carved with a double scroll of foliage, ending in round flower heads. The back of the table at frieze height is painted on its front surface in a deep red, which is read as the background to the pierced sections of frieze. An egg-and-dart moulding runs just under the marble slab, which is cut with a moulded edge. The marble is probably cipollino rosso or rosso brecciato. |
| Gallery label | CLOSET OR CABINET OF MIRRORS
ITALIAN (Lombardy); about 1780
Carved and gilded pine. The parquetry floor of walnut and ash. The top course of coffering in the ceiling is lacking.
Candelabra would have been placed on the small console tables where the modern lamps now stand and, like these, would have been reflected in the mirrors behind.
Given by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, FSA, LL.D. Dsc.(pre October 2000) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edith Beatty to Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, by whom given to the Museum in her memory |
| Object history | Given by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (RF 55/660, on Nominal File: Sir Alfred Chester Beatty), although purchased by his wife Edith. The London dealers Frank Partridge & Sons Ltd appeared to facilitate the transfer. There is no discussion of the panelling noted on the file. A note in John Hardy's writing records the information given by the London dealer John Partridge in 1981 that the room was bought through the firm of Jeanselme, Paris, in 1949 by Mrs Chester Beatty, the wife of Sir Alfred, who was knighted in 1954). By 1981 Jeanselme had closed and no records survive. In order to erect the room in Gallery 7 in the Museum in 1971, the top course of coffering in the ceiling, above the vertical step in the coursing, was removed and the fragments stored. In the 1990s the Museum technician Colin Lambourne noted that he had made up some of the missing mirrored ceiling panels, using modern mirror glass set against aluminium foil. One photograph exists of the room showing one of the end pairs of doors open with a statue behind. This is probably a dealer's photograph taken for Jeanselme. The arrangement of doors to individual mirror panels appears to be slightly different in this photograph from that shown on photos of the room taken after the 1971 installation in the Museum, suggesting that the placing of individual panels and sets of double doors was perhaps not based on records of the original arrangement. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.5:1-1955 |
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| Record created | January 24, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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