NEW YORK CITY, 1860-1870

Made for the display of sculpture, the pedestal offered here contains a variety of references to the Classical arts. Supported by ionic capitals and monopodia derived from Antiquity, the pedestal also features the contemporary fashions of the day. The ebonized surfaces emulate lacquer and illustrate the late nineteenth-century fascination with Asian decorative arts, while the incised giltwork shows the influence of Christopher Dresser's popular designs (Barquist, American Tables and Looking Glasses (New Haven, Connecticut, 1992), pp.264-265). Two almost identical pedestals are known that feature slightly variant animal heads and floral, instead of geometric, carving around the body of the urn support. One is in the collection of Yale University Art Galleries and another is in a private collection (Barquist, cat.142).