Carved and ebonised support, Netherlands late 17th century; Roman mosaic top

The table top is formed of a stone-backed mosaic with a pattern of scrolling leaves with flower medallions. The mosaic is a composite of ancient Roman mosaic tesserae and 18th century restorations. It was made in the 18th century by joining two parts of a larger mosaic with an uneasy join down the centre. Some of the tesserae are certainly ancient, including the glass orange, red and yellow pieces. Ancient archaeological tesserae are always corroded. The white and pink are of marble, the green, red etc, of glass. The darker green is a filler composed of pigmented wax, which was common practice in the workshops of 18th century Rome.

The 17th century frame, made in the Netherlands in the late 17th century is carved with scrolling foliage stained dark brown and has been altered for use with the mosaic table top, probably in the 19th century.

This combination of Dutch, late 17th-century stand and mosaic slab, made up from and ancient Roman floor mosaic, was acquired for £50 in 1874 from the collection of 'Mr Webb', i.e. the dealer and adviser to the Museum. It was said at that time to be Italian, 17th-century. It was recorded in 1869 when on loan to the Museum as 'Table, stand of carved and stained wood supporting a slab of ancient Roman mosaic. Italian, 17th century. Lent by Mr John Webb.'

Recent research has identified the mosaic top as made from fragments of floor mosaic excavated from Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, in the 1730s. It is similar to a design of mosaics transformed into table tops published by monsignor Giuseppe Alessandro Furietti, in 'De Musivis', 1752, (available in digital form online). The V&A table is made up of two separate sections of the same pattern but turned around and joined together with an uneasy join down the centre. A table with the same pattern but more complete at Castle Howard, Yorkshire, was purchased from Ficaroni in March 1746 and sold to Lord Carlisle. It has the same border of grey marble (pavonazzetto?) as the V&A table, so both tables were almost certainly made by the same restorers from the same mosaic floor in the Accademia at Hadrian's Villa, since the designs for Hadrian's Villa were unique.

The design is similar to a pair of table tops at Osterley Park House, Middlesex, designed by Robert Adam for Sir Francis Child. Robert Adam had worked at Hadrian's Villa and probably met Furietti. These tables are listed in the Osterley Park inventory of 1782 as 'two Antique Mosaic Marble slabs very highly finished, on elegant carved and gilt in burnish gold frames with leather covers'. However the Osterley tables contain no antique fragments and are 18th century copies of the mosaic engraved by Furietti. The tesserae are larger and more regular, the colours and pattern are slightly different. They were probably made in Italy by skilled restorers and makers.

Other table tops partly made from mosaic fragments from a different floor excavated by Furietti from the Acccademia at Hadrian's Villa, and made to another Furietti design, are a second table at Castle Howard, and an example at Holkham Hall, Norfolk.

Other examples of 18th century copies of Furietti's designs, with no ancient Roman tesserae, are at Attingham Park, Shropshire, and second table at Holkham Hall. (Information from Marina de Franceschini 2014, see references).

In 1968 this stand was on loan to Scarborough.

In 1976 the ebonised frame was displayed as a support for the cabinet (V&A W.50-1948).

When this table was first acquired by the Museum in 1874, after having been on loan from John Webb since 1869, the stand was thought to be Italian and to date from the seventeenth century, 'supporting a slab of ancient Roman mosaic'. The stand was in fact carved in the Netherlands between about 1670 and 1700 and was made either for a table or a cabinet.

The slab is an assembly of ancient Roman floor mosaic excavated from Hadrian's Villa. It was made by joining two sections from a larger mosaic with an uneasy join down the centre. Although we do not know the origin of the table top for sure, it is most likely that it was made by Giuseppe Furietti, who excavated the villa in the 1730s, and who reused fragments of mosaic floors to make table-tops to sell to collectors. His skilful restorers used additional pieces to complete the designs. He published designs for mosaics transformed into table tops in 1752, one of which closely matches this example. Another table with the same pattern, but more complete, and with the same border of grey marble, is at Castle Howard, Yorkshire. Both tables were almost certainly made from the same mosaic floor in the Accademia at Hadrian's Villa.

John Webb (1799-1880) was a dealer and collector who gave much support to the Museum when it was first founded. He often acted for the Museum as an agent at auction sales, and in 1867 he was charged with selecting modern items for the Museum to acquire from the Paris International Exhibition. Webb also bequeathed items to the Museum. WEbb was not above 'improving' what he sold, and it is quite likely that joined the mosaic top with the stand.

292&A-1874