A GEORGE III CARVED GILTWOOD SIDE TABLE, CIRCA 1760

The collection of Florence Vanderbilt (1854-1952) and Hamilton Twombly (1849-1910);

the by descent until sold Parke Bernet Galleries, New York, The Estate of the late Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly, 6-8 January 1955, lot 322; 

Acquired from Ronald Phillips Ltd., 2008.

F. Lewis Hinckley, Metropolitan Furniture of the Georgian Years, New York, 1988, p.121, pl.87.

This bold table, with its sweeping rocaille frieze and deeply carved foliate detailing, is a fine example of the George III 'Rococo' style that rose to prominence in the 1750s and 60s. The substantial frame was always intended to bear a 'marble slab' which usually consisted of elaborate pietre dure or scagliola tops made for English clients who had returned from their Grand Tours in Italy. For a related George II giltwood side table in the manner of Matthias Lock, circa 1750, see that sold Sotheby's New York, 28 March 2011, lot 155 ($326,500).

The present table formed part of the extraordinary collection of Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly (1885-1954). Ruth was the daughter of the wealthy New York business executive Hamilton McKown Twombly (1877-1910) and railroad heiress Florence Adele Vanderbilt (1854-1952) (the granddaughter of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877)) who inherited their extensive estates. In the spirit of the times, they maintained a residence in New York, on Fifth Avenue, which was designed by Whitney Warren, as well as “cottages” in the country, which included Vinland at Newport and Florham in Morristown, New Jersey. Florham was nothing short of spectacular. Built in the finest styles of the Gilded Age by one of America’s preeminent architectural firms, McKim, Mead, and White, the 1,200-acre estate encompassed an extraordinary 150 acres of sprawling park of lawns, terraces, and formal gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The 100-room Georgian Revival mansion overlooked these magnificent gardens. Florham now houses the library of the Fairleigh-Dickinson University, New Jersey, whilst the beautiful paneled library of the Fifth Avenue mansion was removed and presented to Cornell University.