CIRCA 1830

This unusual table with its ormolu frieze cast with ancient Gothic British castles, was conceived in the Romantic manner of the 19th century and was likely commissioned as a commemorative object or curiosity. While the specifics regarding the commission of this table remain unknown, there are indeed possibilities that may be considered. Is there a common link between the various sites cast to the frieze? Perhaps the intended recipient had ownership of all of the properties or may have had sentimental or historical ties to the various sites. Another conceivable possibility is that the table may have been cast as a momento of a Romantic walking tour of ruins in the British countryside. Despite this uncertainty, the quality and expense of production evident in the ormolu casting and construction would seem to imply that a London firm was employed in this rather costly, and therefore important, commission. The source for views of these ancient castles may have been a set of published Romantic prints of historical sites as were popular in this period.

Some of the more noteworthy, memorable and highly individualized Romantic interiors from this time include: William Beckford's Fonthill Abbey (1796-1822); Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford (1816-26) and Charlecote Park (1829-57), refurbished by George and Mary Elizabeth Lucy. These, and other interiors, are discussed at length in C. Wainwright, The Romantic Interior, New Haven, 1989.