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Lot Essay
The Victorian 'Derbyshire' Grecian-black limestone tablet is flowered in Roman mosaic fashion with purple Derbyshire 'blue john' fluorspar, that forms an opened 'Venus' scallop-shell medallion . This is wreathed by more pearl-decked shells that are tied to Roman foliage by golden waved ribbons in spandrel cartouches; while its golden edged border 'Ashford' white marble is diamond-jewelled in fluorspar woven in a trellised ribbon-guilloche of Derbyshire 'ducal' red marble.
Such Derbyshire manufactures had been greatly promoted by William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (d.1858), and by his son William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire (d.1891) (see N. Barker, Five Centuries of Collecting at Chatsworth, 2003, no.151). Amongst the leading manufacturers of such tops were S. Birley of Ashford and Thomas Woodruff; while a related table top, manufactured by Tomlinson of Bakewell, was shown at the 1862 London Exhibition (see J. Meyer, Great Exhibitions, 1851-1900, Woodbridge, p. 136).
The top, which the Rev. Alfred Nathaniel, 4th Baron Scarsdale (d.1916) purchased from R.G. Lomas of Derby in 1887 for Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, may have been intended to serve as embellishment for a dressing-table in the State Bedroom, where a similar 'blue john' medallion ornamented its 18th century marble chimneypiece. The table's elegant George I truss-scrolled columnar legs terminating in 'round toe' pads, would appear to derive from one of the family's tables, such as the 'walnut folding table' listed in the 1804 inventory. The frame's lambrequin of arched and wave-scrolled frets would appear to have been executed in the 1880s.
Such Derbyshire manufactures had been greatly promoted by William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (d.1858), and by his son William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire (d.1891) (see N. Barker, Five Centuries of Collecting at Chatsworth, 2003, no.151). Amongst the leading manufacturers of such tops were S. Birley of Ashford and Thomas Woodruff; while a related table top, manufactured by Tomlinson of Bakewell, was shown at the 1862 London Exhibition (see J. Meyer, Great Exhibitions, 1851-1900, Woodbridge, p. 136).
The top, which the Rev. Alfred Nathaniel, 4th Baron Scarsdale (d.1916) purchased from R.G. Lomas of Derby in 1887 for Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, may have been intended to serve as embellishment for a dressing-table in the State Bedroom, where a similar 'blue john' medallion ornamented its 18th century marble chimneypiece. The table's elegant George I truss-scrolled columnar legs terminating in 'round toe' pads, would appear to derive from one of the family's tables, such as the 'walnut folding table' listed in the 1804 inventory. The frame's lambrequin of arched and wave-scrolled frets would appear to have been executed in the 1880s.