19th Century Regency Bronzed Wood and Parcel Gilt Specimen Marble Table

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19th Century Regency Bronzed Wood and Parcel Gilt Specimen Marble Table

About the Item

Important and extremely rare early 19th century bronzed wood and parcel-gilt specimen hardstone table. The attention to detail and artistic design of this truly exceptional masterpiece is a delight to behold. The outstanding inlaid top, brought back from the Grand Tour, includes Imperial Egyptian Porphyry, Greek Porphyry, Sicilian Jaspers, Rosso Antico, Verde Antico & Granito Rosso Antico, all of which are the most treasured of ancient Roman Stones. This magnificent top rests upon the most incredibly rare of bases, a truly unique masterpiece of the most fanciful. The wood has a fabulous ''Bronzed'' finish combined with highlights of parcel gilding. The three monopedia, each headed by carved puppy heads, each with their mouths slightly open, showing their side teeth and with gilded tongues pushed out in anticipation, with the most heart melting character look on their faces, flowing to a spirally twisted leg and incredibly well cast gilded paw foot with concealed caster. In excellent condition. The Red Imperial Porphyry, or Lapis Porphyrites, was quarried by ancient Romans at Mons Porphyrites, part of the modern Gebel Dokhan in Egypt, following its discovery in the age of Emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD). Due to the exceptional quality of its surface and its rarity Porphyry was employed only for the grandest and most important commissions, from temples such as the Pantheon to monuments such as the portrayal of the Four Tetrarchs, now in Venice, and the sarcophagi of Emperor Constantine’s Family. Porphyry was forbidden to be used in works of art by the lexpurpurea, an ancient Roman law that forbade its use by anyone but the Imperial Family. Excavations at Mons Porphyrites had ceased by the early 5th century AD and, whilst Porphyry continued to be the prerogative of rulers throughout late antiquity. Because of its almost indestructible nature it was also used to signify immortality; in the Vatican, Saint Helen and Saint Constantia, both lie in Porphyry sarcophagi. In 786 Charlemagne was granted permission by Pope Hadrian I to take Porphyry columns from Rome for his cathedral in Aachen. The stone’s true rediscovery took place in Renaissance Italy where in the 16th century the Medici were granted entitlement and the invention of new cutting tools lead to its increasing use. Following in Charlemagne’s footsteps, sculptors and architects thus reused and cut their works from ancient Roman columns, or the occasional slab found intact since imperial times. This practice continued into the following centuries, as the Egyptian quarry lay dormant until its identification at the beginning of the 19th century. At the end of the eighteenth century deposits appeared in Sweden and Russia whose color and texture were different to the Porphyry in Egypt. It was thanks to a donation from the Tsar of Russia, that the Emperor's tomb at Les Invalides was built. It goes without saying that any item incorporating Egyptian Porphyry is highly sought after. Granito Rosso Antico, also known in ancient times as Lapis Thebaicus & Lapis Pyrrhopoecilus is a fabulous stone from Egypt, the variety used in this outstanding piece is incredibly well figured. Romans favored this stone for their most important places. Referred to as Diaspri di Sicilia in Italian, Sicilian Jaspers are very hard and occur in a multitude of color and pattern variations, making them ideal stones for decorating ornaments. Today they are no longer commercially quarried, but around 300 varieties of Sicilian Jasper have been identified in the Baroque Churches of Sicily. Reaching their heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries, Sicilian Jaspers were mined mainly in the province of Palermo, particularly near the towns of Giuliana and Bisacquino. Jasper is a variety of opaque cryptocrystalline quartz formed by silica-rich fluids percolating through fissures in limestone rocks. They come in an abundance of colors, with the red variations attributed to the presence of hematite and yellow to the presence of goethite. Brecciated jasper, which has a fragmented appearance, has formed due to movements of the rock, perhaps triggered by earthquakes. Like agates, jaspers can range from opaque to translucent and have a vitreous lustre. Thanks to the comprehensive collection formed by the Roman lawyer Faustino Corsi (1771-1846), it is possible for specialists to identify varieties of Sicilian jasper used on decorative pieces. This variety of Porphyry in the centre of the table comes from the ancient area that was Sparta. There are a few carvings of this stone that date to the Minoan & Mycenaean civilizations, but the later Greeks did not use it. It was the Romans, in the first Century who adopted and used this truly fabulous stone with great relish. Authors from ancient times have referred to it under various names, such as ''Lapis Laxedaemonius'', after the ancient name for Laconia; ''Lapis Taygetas'' from the name of the mountain range where it would have been quarried; ''Lapis Croceus'' after the nearby town of Croceae, now called Krokeai or Krokees ; and ''Lapis Spartanus'' because Krokeai was located very near the city of Sparta. The rarity of this truly unique piece cannot be overstated. Approximate Size: Height 31 inches Diameter 26.75 inches.

Dimensions:
Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Diameter: 26.75 in (67.95 cm)
Style:
Regency (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Giltwood,Marble,Porphyry,Wood,Carved,Inlay
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1815
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1204211530173