The marble slab is supported on a frame with Venus's scallop-shell badge accompanied by the goddess's sporting dolphins, and reflects the 'antique' ornament introduced in 1725 by the artist and architect William Kent (d.1748) in the decoration of King George I's Gallery at Kensington Palace. Later, in his role as 'Master Carpenter' to King George II's Board of Works, Kent was to introduce other marble slab tables with dolphin-supports at Kensington Palace (see: D. Watkin, The Royal Interiors of Regency England, London, 1984, p. 67). However, this particular pattern with entwined and addorsed dolphins may have been invented in the 1730s by his colleague, the architect Henry Flitcroft (d.1769), who held the appointment of 'Clerk' to the Board of Works. He is thought to have designed related tables for John, 2nd Duke of Montagu (d.1749) and for George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan (d.1790). In 1741 the latter commissioned 'a carved and gilt dolphin frame' from the cabinet-maker Benjamin Goodison (d.1767) to match another of his table-frames (see: T. Murdoch, et. al., Boughton House, London, 1992, p. 135, fig. 136).
A related table from the Ramsden Collection is illustrated in R. Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964, p. 586, fig. 35. Another pair of tables, which are reputed to have come from Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk, are being offered, Christie's New York, 20 January 1995, lot 452