Object Description
A fine antique Louis XV Revival carved giltwood marble topped console table, circa 1830 in date.
This finely carved giltwood console table is surmounted with an exquisite shaped rectangular Vielle Brun marble top above a frieze carved with shell anthemion, ‘S’ scrolls and roses. This is splendidly supported by four elegant cabriole legs decorated with acanthus leaves that are united by a stretcher that is centred with a shell anthemion.
This piece is truly unique and is guaranteed to bring beauty and charm to your home for many years to come.
Condition:
In really excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 103 x Width 113 x Depth 48
Dimensions in inches:
Height 3 foot, 5 inches x Width 3 foot, 8 inches x Depth 1 foot, 7 inches
Vielle Brun Marble
Mined in the Ville-Louron Haute-Pyrenees, France, the marble with purple highlights.
Quarry was opened in antiquity and was active in the middle ages intil when it closed in the early 20th Century.
Giltwood
There is no doubt that giltwood furniture is an expression of grandeur and luxury. The golden hue of these pieces comes from the application of real gold leaf—a highly valued material both then and now. When it comes to buying antique giltwood furniture for your collection, there are many different considerations to keep in mind, many of which come down to personal preference.
Origins of Giltwood
The gilt gesso technique appeared in England at the end of the seventeenth century with the work of Jean Pelletier, a Huguenot craftsman who received royal patronage at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace. James Moore, a royal cabinetmaker working in the early eighteenth century, expanded on this technique with increased drama and exaggeration to the carving. Throughout the Georgian era in the eighteenth century, gilded furniture was highly prized as some of the finest furniture available as it emulated the ever popular taste for French style and décor.
The Technique
Gesso is a type of plaster that is prepared of finely ground chalk, applied onto the wooden surface in a series of layers—at least fifteen layers were needed to achieve the desired thickness. Once dried, the craftsmen could cut into the new surface to create different designs. When the designs were complete, the gilding could be applied. To gild the surface, a red clay ground, known as bole, would be spread onto the surface to prepare for the laying of the gold leaf.
Our reference: A2906