Return from Egypt Console Table, 1810

Details

Description

Retour d'Egypte console table with mirror top

England
Mahogany, marble, etc.
early 19th century

Dimensions: H x W x D: … Read more Retour d'Egypte console table with mirror top

England
Mahogany, marble, etc.
early 19th century

Dimensions: H x W x D: 128 x 106 x 52 cm

Rare console piece of furniture with mirrored cupboard top and Egyptian decoration.

Piece of furniture standing on slender, conically tapering legs in brass sabots. The legs, connected by a plinth tray at the front, end at the top in finely carved, Egyptianised carytid heads, which, four at a time, seem to bear the weight of the corpuses above.
The top has a high frame veneered in wonderfully iridescent mahogany with delicate fillet bands on the sides and on the fronts of the two drawers. These light and dark contrasting inlays organise the surfaces in the taste of the late 18th century and can also be found on the surfaces of the top.
The female heads mounted on the base are also repeated on the top. To the left and right of the doors, as crowns of the pilasters emerging flat from the pilaster strips, they support the black and grey veined marble panel framed with wood, which forms the upper end of the piece of furniture. There is a height-adjustable shelf behind the doors using toothed strips.

Designed as hallway or hallway furniture, the mirrored doors ensure that the piece of furniture does not appear cramped, even in narrower areas of the house, but on the contrary makes the room appear larger and more open by reflecting the sparse sunlight. If placed directly in the entrance area, the mirrors allow you to take a quick look at your own appearance before leaving the house. The marble top is robust enough to withstand the hectic coming and going of objects without scratching.

Interesting facts:
Enthusiasm for the art and culture from the mystical land of the pharaohs was already present in Europe at the time of the ancient Romans, long before the birth of Christ. The centuries-long isolation of Egypt due to its incorporation into the Islamic Empire revived the legends of Egyptian works during the Renaissance. Both master builders and writers conjured up the wonders of Egypt in vague allusions. In the 16th century, Sebastian Serlio mentioned "the indescribably marvellous things in Egypt" and in the 17th century Fréart de Chambray described the Egyptians as "those god-like spirits to whom we owe so much in art\. the immeasurable magnificence of their tombs proves that they were true giants, gods among men, so to speak." Such statements laid the foundation for the later widespread use of Egyptian motifs.

with Napoleon's Egyptian campaign in 1798 and the resulting Musée Napoléon, which was filled with spoils, a veritable Egyptomania broke out throughout Europe. The result was furniture in the Egyptian style, some with restrained decoration, others richly adorned with sphinxes, caryatids and hieroglyphics. The Biedermeier and Empire styles of the early 19th century demonstrated exemplary taste in the use of Egyptian motifs, as they fitted in well with the simple and solid forms of architectural classicism.

Condition:
Authentic, refurbished condition with slight signs of wear typical for the age. Old mirror glass with minor blind spots.

We recommend the following literature on the subject of "Retour d'Egypte":
John Morley - European furniture from p. 291 See less