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Unit 2, Riverside Business Park, Gosport Street Lymington, Hampshire SO41 9BB England 44.159.067.7558

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An Early Victorian Ashford Marble Table

Origin

England

Period

19th Century

Dimensions

W.	60 in;	H.	33 in;	D.	36.5 in;
W.	152.4 cm;	H.	83.82 cm;	D.	92.71 cm;

Creation Date

1840

Description

The rectangular black marble and pietra
dura top is set above a walnut base
naturalistically carved with C-scrolls, lilies
and foliage on a central lily support with
outswept dolphin feet. At the back are two
cabriole legs headed by shells and equally
ornate carving. The inlaid decoration
comprises a central sunburst within a
patchwork border of specimen marbles and
fossils including: Madrepore, Petworth,
Portoro, Brocatelle, Sicilian Jasper and
‘Duke’s Red’. The top of the base is stamped
‘Artist R. Tudsbury Edwinstow. nOTsh.’
Circa 1840.
Height: 33in; 84cm
Width: 60in; 152.5cm
Depth: 361⁄2in; 92.5cm

Provenance:
Oberton Hall: “The Grecian-black marble
top, with its ribbon-banded tablet and
polychromed pietre dure compartment is a
masterpiece of the Derbyshire Black Marble
Works at Ashford and Old Royal Museum,
Matlock. It was probably designed by
William Adam (d.1873) who succeeded to
the Works in 1831. A trade sheet illustration
of the Museum featured a related table,
where the Museum was noted as being
‘under the Especial Patronage of his
Grace [Charles Cavendish, 6th] Duke
of Devonshire/Minerals and Shells/Inlaid
Tables/Mawe’s Original Royal Museum,
Matlock-Bath. The finest Spar, and elegantly
engraved Black Marble Ornaments,
Chimneypieces etc, London Jewellery’.”
Please see page 60 for further information
on Ashford Marble.

Provenance
Ashford marble is a type of limestone which can be polished to a glossy black finish. It is quarried in only two sites in Derbyshire and has been used as a decorative building material since Bess of Hardwick commissioned a chimney piece of Ashford stone for Chatsworth. In the 18th century Henry Watson of Bakewell began to produce ornaments and William Spencer Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, (1790-1858) commissioned high quality pieces after admiring Florentine micro mosaics during his Grand Tour of Italy. By the 19th century Ashford marble was in vogue both for furniture and ornaments with numerous outstanding pieces being displayed at the 1851 Great Exhibition by such manufacturers as J. Tomlinson, Thos. Woodruff (exhibited by HRH Prince Albert) and G Redfern (awarded a prize medal). See J M Tomlinson, Derbyshire Black Marble, Matlock, 1996, for further details

Styles / Movements

Traditional, Victorian

Incollect Reference Number

274171