A fine pair of South German carved giltwood consoles, Bavaria, probably Munich Rococo, circa 1730

with black, white and red variegated marble top, the frieze with a textured ground and embellished with rocaille, the front centred by female mask, raised on back-swept cabriole legs, joined by curved stretcher centred by open worked grid and leaf carved ornament, on paw feet

Each in reasonably good condition, minor losses to extremities, one console with minor wood loss to left top corner of moulding, the side and front friezes of each console with some restorations to the rocaille ornaments, small horizontal and vertical dryness cracks to legs, stretchers with small losses and/or restorations to bottom tip of leaves, one stretcher with small wood chip to back of stretcher, gilding partly refreshed and with minor losses, minor reinforcements to back boards, the possibly associated marble tops restored, wood board to bottom.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These tables are clearly inspired by Munich Rococo court furniture. Especially the overall structure is owed to designs by Joseph Effner (1687-1745). The designs of the Munich-born architect are typical for the French taste that dominated the Bavarian court in the early 18^th century, partly as a result of the exile of Elector Max Emanuel (1662-1726) to Paris from 1704 onwards. Upon his return to Bavaria in 1715 the Elector maintained French court ceremony and favoured designers who had received their training in Paris. Effner, as offspring of a dynasty of court gardeners, went to Paris to study the latest French fashion of gardening at the studio of Germain de Boffrand (1667-1754). His main interest shifted to architecture and interior decoration. In 1720 he was appointed Oberhofbaumeister and thus responsible for all major ducal projects of architecture and interior decoration, e.g. the furbishing of the so-called Reiche Zimmer at the Residence in Munich and the design of castle and garden in Nymphenburg. His style was highly influential throughout South Germany and parts of Austria. Only after the death of Elector Max Emanuel in 1726, his pupil François de Cuvilliés (1695-1768) replaced him as leading designer of courtly furniture with bold Rococo inventions that seem to deny all constructive needs in favour of ornamental forms.