An Italian Carrara marble and specimen marble inlaid centre table Roman, First half 19th century

the circular inlaid marble top with a central micro-mosaic medallion of the Doves of Pliny within a radiating trellis design of exotic specimen marbles surrounded by a Greek key outer border, the massive carved acanthus scroll pillar on a triangular base with anthemion motifs to the edges, the carved paw feet resting on Siena marble pads

Henry Lock Kendell, Mayor of Croydon, 1948.

 

By repute, exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London 1851.

Overall good condition. The top is in excellent order with very minor chips to the edges. The stem has been cleaned and has some wear. There are repaired chips to the circular section at the top of the stem where it meets the underside of the top. Some wear, and chips to the triangular base and feet. Some discolourations, stains and marks to the Carrara marble. A wonderful table of impressive scale. The top circular section of the table base has two repairs where sections of the edge have been stuck back on. They do not show when the table is assembled. There is a large chip out of the underside edge of the tripod base midway along one side. Half a claw is missing from one hairy paw foot. There are minor chips overall and scuffing to the hairy paw feet. The Siena marble plates which the hairy paw feet sit on have breaks and are very poorly put together. They are crudely cemented to the marble feet. (would recommend that these be removed, cleaned of all pink plaster etc and reattached) One more condition detail - there is some mild rust staining coming through the table base - it has obviously been bolted together with a steel pin which is rusting and staining the marble. It is not too serious as the table will be kept inside and so it should not get so bad that it is liable to perish and stain the table more. A purist might ideally want to take the table apart and drill the bolt out and replace it with stainless steel.
"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."

This table was given to the School of Art and Design in Croydon in 1948 as recorded by the minutes of the Finance Committee on 20th September 1948 under Item 13. "Councillor H. Lock Kendell has presented to the Town a rare circular Florentine marble table, which was exhibited at the first exhibition of 1851, and it is his wish (which has been accepted by the education committee) that the table should be placed in the new College of Arts and Crafts. In the meantime the council have agreed that the table should be housed in the Town Hall". (County Borough of Croydon - Council Minutes and Incidental papers Nov 1947 - May 1949, Vol LXVI, 46482 - S70(352)). The College of Art and Design was finally opened in 1954.

Henry Lock Kendell who became Mayor of Croydon in 1958 was the principal of Messrs Kendell's Paving Co. Ltd. They specialised in a new material incorporating cement and granite chippings called granolithic. No doubt the success of this new material, which was used in the Exhibition Centre at Earls Court and Southampton Docks, allowed Kendell to purchase such an impressive and rare table.

Although referred  to as Florentine it has more in common with Roman work. The micromosaic panel is related to examples by the Roman specialists in this material, the Mogia brothers as well as pieces from the Vatican workshops; indeed the subject matter is typical of Roman work.

There is no reason to doubt that it was indeed exhibited at the Crystal Palace in 1851, although it cannot be traced with certainty from close examination of the catalogue. It is is well known that as the catalogue went to press several months before the exhibition it is by no means a completely accurate record. There are a number of candidates who could have made the table. Amongst the possible makers listed in the Catalogue are The London Marble and Stone Working Company, of Esher Street, near Millbank, Westminster, who are recorded as "Importers, Designers and Manufacturers"; they exhibited " a table and slab of coloured marble" in Class 27, which included the manufactures of Mineral Substances. No doubt this class would have been of interest to forebears of Kendell, involved as they were in the manufacture of composite stone materials. Another likely candidate is M.C.Wyatt, designer and sculptor of the The Grove, Paddington, who showed a group and pedestal of "mosaic sculpture" and significantly, "four tables and pedestal of inlaid marble". It should be remembered that several firms in the British Section of the exhibition showed imported items of foreign manufacture.

Italy did not exist as a political identity as such in 1851 and the section is divided into various areas. There is one maker R. Rinaldi, who contributed to the display from The Papal States, which was renowned as has been pointed out, for mosaic work. His contribution is listed as a "round top of a table, mosaic work in hard pebbles". As to be expected there are several makers listed under Tuscany, who might have made such a table; among them Count Guido della Gherardesca, L. Nanni of Prato, the Marquis Panciatichi of Florence, and the Imperial and Royal Techological Institute in Florence either does its dating from the early years of the 19th century preclude it from being shown in 1851.  A number of exhibits, notably from the foreign displays, predated the exhibtion by up to 40 years; the furniture by Pelago Pelagi from Turin being a celebrated example.

The medallion to the centre of the top is derived from a mosaic discovered by Cardinal Furietti at the Villa Adriana in 1737 (now preserved in the Capitoline Museum, Rome) and later acquired by Clement XIII . The mosaic which is reputedly by Sosus was described by Pliny thus "At  Pergamos is a wonderful specimen of a dove drinking, and darkening the water with the shadow of her head; on the lip of the vessel are other doves pluming themselves."          

A micro mosaic table with a similar Greek key pattern border is illustrated in Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection Micromosaics, 2000, pp. 130-1, No. 69. The scrolling acanthus work pedestal support on the present table relates to the column on the Barberini candle stand in the Vatican, Rome.