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Italian, Italy

Table, ca.1500-1600

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Italian

Title

Table

Year

ca.1500-1600

Medium

Walnut and mahogany

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • mahogany,
  • walnut

Dimensions

82.6 x 374 x 104.8 cm (32 1/2 x 147 1/4 x 41 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Accession number in chalk underside of top

Place

Italy

Type

  • Decorative Arts,
  • Furniture

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Murray Danforth

Object Number

45.073

About

The design of this wooden table is based on that of luxurious stone furniture made for princely patrons. Its scale suggests that it was intended for a room of impressive proportions, such as an apartment of state or a grand reception room. In prominent Italian households, well-crafted tables were often covered with fine cloths or carpets, but this table boasts robust carvings that were meant to be seen and admired. Renaissance designers looked to antiquity for inspiration: details such as the molding around the table top and the massive lion paws and scrolling foliage seen here on the side supports were inspired by the ornamentation of ancient Roman tables. American collectors purchased fine examples of Renaissance furniture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as symbols of their own wealth and power. Prior to entering the Museum’s collection, this table was owned by the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Accession number in chalk underside of top

Italy
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Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Table with the accession number of 45.073. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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