Historicist Gilded Cast Iron Side Table, Germany, 1880s

Details

Description

An ornate cast-iron side table in the Historicist style, made in Germany around 1880. The circular top is richly decorated … Read more An ornate cast-iron side table in the Historicist style, made in Germany around 1880. The circular top is richly decorated with pierced openwork: a central medallion of scrolling foliage surrounds a smaller boss, while the wide outer rim carries a continuous band of foliate and scroll ornament. The surface is gilded, with the original finish now showing the wear and darkening typical of age.
The base is equally elaborate. Three outward-sweeping scrolled legs support a turned central column that rises through a pierced spherical element and a series of baluster and leaf forms. Small brackets and finials articulate the junctions. The gilding remains substantially present but is worn in places, particularly on raised edges and the top, consistent with more than a century of use.
Tables of this type were produced as decorative occasional pieces for drawing rooms and conservatories. The combination of cast iron, openwork ornament and gilt finish is characteristic of late-19th-century Historicist furniture.
Origin: Germany

Date: Circa 1880

Materials: Cast iron, gilded

Condition: Age-appropriate wear. Gilding worn in places; please refer to photographs.

Dimensions: Height 78 cm (30.7 in.); Diameter 48 cm (18.9 in.) See less