A George II Carved Giltwood and Cream-Painted Pier Table in the Manner of William Kent, Circa 1740

Private Collection, London, supplied by R.W. Symonds in 1942;

Sotheby's London, 17 January 2018, lot 203;

Rolleston, London.

This pier table displays hallmarks typical of the designs of Palladian architect and furniture designer William Kent (1685 – 1748). Kent’s championing of the Neo-Palladian marked him as one of the greatest influences on British taste. In turn he was no doubt inspired by his tour of Italy, 1709 – 1719, where he spent much time studying the ruins of ancient Rome. Kent’s furniture designs often drew inspiration from Roman mythology, the eagle on the present table meant to represent the God Apollo, or Grecian counterpart Zeus. One can see a clear correlation in Kent’s drawing in Alexander Pope's Odyssey (1725-26), Vol. I, book 2., p. 93 where Kent draws ‘Zeus’s warning’ (See S. Weber ed., William Kent Architect, Designer, Painter, Gardener, 1685 – 1748, London, 1984, p. 119, fig. 42). Another thought is Kent would have seen the eagle used regularly as a symbol for the might of the Roman Empire.

Pier tables with such a ‘Kentian’ design have appeared on the market; however the present work is notable for inclusion of sprays of acanthus leaves within the frieze and the rosettes carved into the mouldings. Possibly the most comparable table stylistically is owned by the National Trust and can be viewed at Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire, NT 652695.2, the Sudbury example differs very slightly, for example the top moulding incorporates a Vitruvian design. It is interesting to note that the present lot was supplied by the respected historian R. W. Symonds who discusses the group at length remarking on their importance to furniture makers and Palladian houses, see Symonds. R., ‘The Vogue For The Eagle Table’, Country Life, 10 January 1957, pp. 52 – 52.