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Lot Essay
The richly polychromed table-top comprises a chequered mosaic pavement of variegated marble rectangles framing a diagonal cross within a square compartment. This Grand Tour objet d'art may have been brought back from Italy by Thomas John Wynn, 2nd Baron Newborough (d. 1832) on his return from Italy in 1823. A richly carved rosewood stand (now missing) was supplied for these 'Specimens of marbles' by Gillow & Co., and features in their invoice for March 1824 at a cost of £77. It appears to have been displayed in the Large Drawing Room at Glynllifon.
A related table top, accompanied by details of its one hundred and thirty-seven varieties of marble and dated 1823, was sold anonymously, Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, 20 May 1875, lot 140, and is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum (no. W54-1953). A similar table top was sold from the Montpellier collection of Jacques-Joseph de Boussairolle (d. 1814) was sold by Comte Henri de Colbert, Sotheby's Monaco, 14 June 1997, (lot 36).
A related table top, accompanied by details of its one hundred and thirty-seven varieties of marble and dated 1823, was sold anonymously, Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, 20 May 1875, lot 140, and is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum (no. W54-1953). A similar table top was sold from the Montpellier collection of Jacques-Joseph de Boussairolle (d. 1814) was sold by Comte Henri de Colbert, Sotheby's Monaco, 14 June 1997, (lot 36).