George III Mahogany Console Table, c. 1770

George III Mahogany Console Table
English, circa 1770

With a rectangular Portoro marble top above a finely carved leaf-form apron, the table is raised on freestanding Gothic columnar supports joined by an elaborate pierced fretwork X-form stretcher. The base is distinguished by its open construction and exceptional carving. The contrast between the substantial marble top and the delicately pierced framework gives the table a distinctive profile.

The Gothic-inspired supports reflect the more imaginative and experimental side of eighteenth-century English design. The carving and fretwork are unusually elaborate, though the table never feels overdone. The marble top is antique, though likely later.

As a console, serving table, or center table, the piece is remarkably versatile. The open fretwork base offsets the visual weight of the marble top, allowing it to sit comfortably in both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Provenance:
Basil Dighton, London (among the more prominent London antiques dealers of the early 20th century; in partnership with Leonard Partridge, 1928–1930)
Purchased October 1, 1924 by Julia Murphy Grant, wife of the Honorable Hugh J. Grant, Mayor of New York, 1889–1892
By descent in the family
Private collection, New York