An Italian carved, gilt-wood and marble mounted console table, probably
executed for the Borghese Family after the Asprucci design, with a rectangular
veneered Siena marble top above a frieze centred by a tessera of marmo di
Aquitania in a wreath flanked by a band of scrolling foliage, flowerheads and two
eagles as terminals, each stop of the fluted turned tapering legs with block
collars inside in which are inlaid more oval of verde-antico tesseras, headed by
an oval draped husk terminating in foliate carved ball feet.
Rome, late 18th Century.
Height: 36 inc. (91,5 cm)
Width: 56,7 inc. (144 cm)
Depth: 26,37 inc. (67 cm)
The two eagles are the reminiscent symbols of our table, they remind the coat of
arms of Borghese Family in other console tables, now at the Quirinale Palace in
Rome, executed by Antonio Landucci for Palazzo Borghese, which are illustrated
by Gonzàlez-Palacios, Il Patrimonio Artistico del Quirinale, pp. 184-185. Landucci
worked for Prince Don Marcantonio Borghese (1730-1800) and made some of the
furnishing for Villa Borghese from 1773 to 1782.
The set of four consoles tables made by Vincenzo Pacetti in 1780, for Villa Borghese
gallery after the Charles Percier design, are confirming the importance of this very
rare roman attitude on the creation of inlaid marmo di Aquitaine gilded neoclassical
consoles.
The other most important example of roman neoclassical marble console table are
the beautiful Verde Antico ormolou mounted Pier Tables now in the Wallace
Collection (Vol.I, Catalogue of Furniture, pp.285-287).
Regarding the unusual framed marble panels on the frieze, in both sides and front,
and around legs, must be compare to the floor and to the walls of Villa Borghese
Gallery: the almond shape of the front can be found in the middle of its floor, the
oval ones around legs are in the perimeter of the room and the rhombus ones of the
sides are on the walls. Please see also a gilt bronze frame, now in a private
collection, author unknown, where is present the same almond shape of our front.
(Illustrated in Gonzàlez-Palacios, Il Gusto dei Principi, p.216).
Comparative Literature:
• Alvar González-Palacios, Il patrimonio artistico del Quirinale, i mobili Italiani,
Milano, 1996, pp. 198-199.
• Alvar González-Palacios, Il Gusto dei Principi, Arte di Corte del XVII e del XVIII
secolo, Vol.II, Longanesi, Milano 1993, pp.216 Fig.419; pp.219; 222; 225; 226-227; 239.
• Alvar González-Palacios, Arredi e Ornamenti alla Corte di Roma, Electa, Milano2004, p.219; p.264.
• The Wallace Collection, Vol.I, Catalogue of Furniture, London-1996; pp.285-287).