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An Early Victorian Ashford Marble Table

Offered by: Wick Antiques LTD

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

More Information

Origin:	England
Period:	19th Century
Creation Date:	1840
Styles / Movements:	Traditional, Victorian
Incollect Reference #:	274171

Dimensions

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

Message from Seller:

Wick Antiques was established by Charles Wallrock in the early 1980s. Having grown up in the Antiques world Charles developed an extensive wealth of knowledge. Starting out as a ‘man with a van’ he quickly gained a good reputation and embarked on a longstanding relationship with Harrods. He was later joined by his wife, Caroline Wallrock. Caroline having completed a Persian degree, went on to study at Christie’s fine art and then joined Sotheby’s specializing in Islamic and Japanese works of art