Gold Gilt Console Table
A gold gilt console table brings architectural presence to a hall or drawing room, anchoring the wall below a mirror.
Gold Gilt Console Table
A gold gilt console table is designed to stand against a wall, frequently paired with a matching pier mirror or topped with marble. The forms on this page range from compact nineteenth-century French and Italian examples to larger eighteenth-century Italian pieces.
Makers and workshops produced console tables in various stylistic revivals, including Rococo, Louis XV, and Neoclassical. Alongside standard console tables, buyers will encounter side tables, coffee tables, and card tables sharing similar gilt surfaces.
Origin points span English, French, and Italian traditions, with eighteenth-century Italian carved giltwood standing out among the earlier offerings. Later nineteenth and early twentieth-century interpretations draw heavily on these earlier continental motifs.
Materials and Techniques
Giltwood forms the primary structural base for many pieces, utilising carved wood coated in gold leaf or gesso layers to achieve a brilliant metallic sheen. Artisans shaped these wooden frames into elaborate serpentine outlines and floral flourishes.
Many tables incorporate heavy marble slabs, including Carrara and figured varieties like breche d'alep, fitted directly to the wooden framework. Painted wood, parcel gilt accents, and occasional ormolu mounts appear alongside the predominant gilded surfaces.
Some tables stand on fierce lion's paw supports, ready to pounce across your hallway.
Judging Quality
The depth and crispness of the hand-carving in the giltwood distinguish a superior piece from a standard production. Crisp undercut foliage and sharply defined motifs show the hand of a skilled artisan rather than a hurried workshop.
The integration of the marble top relative to the wooden base indicates the standard of manufacture. Original fitted marble tops with complex moulding match the scale and proportion of the supporting gilt frame.
Felix-Alfred Ternisien
The Gold Gilt Console Table Glossary
- Giltwood
- Wood that has been prepared with gesso and covered in thin sheets of gold leaf. This technique creates a luminous, reflective finish characteristic of high-status furniture.
- Console table
- A table designed to be fixed against a wall, traditionally supported by two front legs or brackets while relying on the wall for stability.
- Pier mirror
- A large tall mirror designed to hang on the pier, the section of wall between two windows, frequently placed directly above a console table.
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze mounts applied to furniture edges and legs for decorative enrichment. It provides a contrasting metallic texture against wood or marble.
- Parcel gilt
- A finish where only specific carved details or raised portions of an object are gilded, leaving painted or polished wood exposed elsewhere.
Gold Gilt Console Table: Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you put a gold gilt console table?
These tables traditionally sit in entrance halls, living rooms, or drawing rooms against a flat wall space. They often anchor a room when placed beneath a large mirror or painting.
Because of their shallow depth, they occupy minimal floor space while providing a surface for lamps, vases, or decorative objects.
How do I identify an eighteenth-century piece?
Eighteenth-century examples typically display hand-carved wooden construction beneath the gilding, showing tool marks and natural wear consistent with age. The proportions tend to reflect authentic Rococo or Neoclassical design periods rather than later revival movements.
Examining the gesso and gold leaf under magnification reveals the layered preparation typical of period craftsmanship.
Are the marble tops usually original?
Many tables retain their original fitted marble slabs, such as white Carrara or patterned varieties like breche d'alep. The edges of these marble tops are usually hand-shaped to match the exact contours of the wooden frame beneath.
A well-fitted top sits flush within the gilded moulding without excessive gaps.
What is the difference between giltwood and painted gilt?
Giltwood consists of solid wood covered entirely in gesso and gold leaf, creating a continuous metallic lustre. Painted gilt furniture combines a painted base colour, such as black or white, with gilded highlights applied to specific carved details.
Both finishes were utilised across different periods, with painted and parcel gilt versions often appearing in Regency and Victorian interpretations.