A Maltese pietre dure and marble inlaid top with the arms of the Bebb family, by J.DArmanin & Sons, Malta mid 19th century

of serpentine form, with a breccia marble border enclosing interlaced volutes in white marble and Bardiglio di Carrara, with two panels in African Breccia, the angles with shield-shaped coat of arms in white marble, Giallo Antico and Diaspro, the acanthus leaves flanking the central coat-of arms representing the English noble family of Bebb of Donnington Grove, Berkshire in Giallo and Rosso Antico and lapis lazuli, on a paragone ground

The Bebb family, Donnington Grove, Berkshire. around 1850.

`Pinnacled elegance, walls of grizzled brick, the cushioning elms and limes of its setting beside the Lambourne's meadows, indeed the very name, proclaim Donnington Park, Berkshire, a Georgian gothic villa of fine vintage', -see fig.1.

Donnington Grove was described by Nicholas Pevsner as`a little Gothic gem'.  James Pettit Andrews F.S.A. author and antiquary purchased the Park of the Grove and the site of the house in around 1760 and proceeded to build the magnificent house. He chose Horace Walpole's friend and `arbiter of taste' John Chute of the Vyne, who was a leading figure in the Gothic revival initiated by Walpole at Strawberry Hill. He was described by Walpole as an `able geometrician and exquisite architect in both the Georgian and Gothic styles'. This fusion of styles distinguishes the Grove and confirms its similarity to Strawberry Hill. In 1770, Pettit Andrews had completed the Grove and in 1783, it came in to the ownership of William Brummell otherwise known as the father of  `beau ' Brummell, the former was the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Beau's formative years were spent at Donnington.

The ownership of Donnington Grove after William Brummell's death in 1794 has not been traced for certain but it was believed to have changed hands only twice in the interim.  In 1795, Donnington Grove transferred to John Bebb, an East India Company Official and, after the death of his widow in 1850, the estate again changed hands to Head Pottinger Best. The house remained in the family until 1936, when it was sold to a Mrs. Amy Swithinbank. In 1945 it was acquired from Mrs Swithinbank, by the Hon. Reginald Fellows.

The arms are those of Horatio Bebb Esq., of Donnington, Berkshire, who assumed that surname in place of Lawrell by Royal licence on 3rd June 1850.

Ref; Burke's The General Armory, p. 64. 

Colour less yellow overall with more contrast and much more attractive than in the catalogue illustration. Old very minor marks, chips and scratches commensurate with age. In overall very good condition. Good provenance.
"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."

Comparative Literature:
Country Life, October 2^nd 1958, Christopher Hussey, Donnington Grove, Berkshire-A Home of Mrs Reginald Fellowes.
Sir Hannibal P. Seicluna, The Church of St John in Valetta,London, 1955.
Edward Sammutt, The Cathedral of St John, Malta, Malta,1950.

The present table top is, for its quality and the kinds of stones used, very much in the traditional Maltese style of marble inlay with the same technique which had been in use since late antiquity. There is a very long tradition of similar marble intarsia work in Malta, largely due to its use in the pavement in the St John's Church in Valetta (built 1573-1577) with the earliest tombstone dated 1603 and the latest 1825. From end to end the floor of this vast Church is paved with large multi-coloured memorial marbles in mosaic, beneath which lie the cream of European aristocracy of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
The marble workers of Messina in Sicily, also practised this technique from at least the 15th century and ties with the Messina marblers were close; therefore one can reasonably assume that the Maltese maestranze were an offshoot of the Messina workshops. Information on the Maltese botteghe specialising in this technique are scarce. It seems that this art was transmitted within the family from one generation to the next. Under early British rule, the most renowned of these families by the end of the 18th century were the Dimeeh and Darmanin families, particularly the latter who dominated this field well into the second half of the 19th century when the practice went into decline. Their workshop was at 45 Strada Levante which was at one time a Convent which is no longer in existence.The marbles and semi-precious stones were all imported from Messina, the rest of Sicily and the Aegean and included lapis lazuli, verde antico and onyx. The diaries of the travels of Judith Lady Montefiore, (married to the great philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore) published in 1885, give an account of her two visits to Malta in 1839 and 1855. She had visited the marble works of Darmanin & Sons '..which produce items that appeared to be imitation of Florentine mosaics..'.

Comparable Maltese table tops of similar outline were sold:
-lot 23, in these Rooms, 26th November 2003, which had originally been made for Charles William, 3rd Marquess of Londondery of Wynward Park, County Durham
-lot 254, in these Rooms, 6th April, 2004.
Also see a circular Maltese marble top, with the Royal Coat of Arms of William IV, sold in these Rooms, lot 316, 8th December 1995.