19th Century Walnut and Marble Top Drum Table

A superb & rare mid 19th Century Italian specimen marble chess top walnut ormolu mounted drum table by Salvatore & Francesco Lopes. The rarity & supreme quality of this piece cannot be overstated, it is without question one of the finest chess centered specimen marble tables and of museum quality. The gorgeous Portoro marble outer border, the interior border with wonderfully designed & superbly executed geometric inlays, the chess board centre with numerous highly sought & extremely rare specimens of marbles. The drum table is in itself a work of art in design, the beautifully figured walnut has aged to a glorious mellow & warm colour, the handles & mounts maintain traces of their original gilding. With an arrangement of real & dummy drawers. The attention to detail on the elegant triform base, with graceful carved legs & ormolu mounted C scrolls, all point to a leading cabinet maker of the period. It has been in the same Important titled estate since it was acquired & commissioned. It is in excellent condition for its age. Circa 1850.

Throughout the late 18th and 19th Centuries it became fashionable for the most important of British society to embark on 'The Grand Tour', a journey of cultural enlightenment encompassing the important sights of the ancient capitals of classical Europe, the near east, Egypt and the holy land. The 'tourists' as they became known, often brought back items from places visited, some of the more extravagant being specimen marble tops such as this example. For ease of transport, the tops were sent back to Britain without bases and the purchaser would then employ a local Cabinetmaker to produce a suitable table on which the rare top could be displayed, as was the case with this fine example.

Salvatore & Francesco Lopes were one of the leading marble workshops in Italy, they produced some of the most unique & beautiful specimen marble table tops, being experts in both design & use of the finest marbles & agates. Their pieces very rarely come on the market, most remaining in aristocratic collections.

28" Dia x 31" high.

71cm Dia x 70cm high.

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Martlesham Antiques is a family run business and has been trading since 1984. Located in Suffolk just outside Woodbridge, Martlesham Antiques is run from a spacious thatched cottage housing nine large showrooms with a vast adjacent car park.

Specialising in 18th and 19th Century furniture, together with creating custom hand-made furniture which is supplied to various interior designers, trade and the retail market. Every piece on the showroom floor is in excellent condition and ready to go straight into the buyers home or premises.

All of Martlesham Antiques furniture is hand polished by their own French polishers and restorers to a very high standard. We are also a member of LAPADA, the association of art and antiques.