Console Table (one of a pair)
The early history of this small console table and its pair, 1914.5.69, is unknown, but their exceptional quality and highly original design suggest a prestigious origin. There is little doubt that they were commissioned for a room decorated with a Turkish theme, as every element evokes the Ottoman Empire. The crossed crescents at the top of the tables are a traditional symbol of Turkey while the supporting figures depicting African youths wearing turbans probably depict African slaves or the eunuchs who administered the Ottoman court harem. The legendary Ottoman Empire is alluded to in the central medallions, which feature the profiles of a sultan and a woman in low relief. One medallion represents Beyazid I surrounded by the inscription MUSULMAN IMPERATOR ANNO M.CD.II, which translates as “Muslim emperor, year 1402.” In 1402, Beyazid I was captured by the great Tartar conqueror Timur during the battle of Angora.
Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.
Lord Henry Seymour, Paris (d. 1859). His sale, Paris, February 23–28, 1860, Lot 166, acquired by his elder brother, Richard Seymour-Conway, fourth Marquess of Hertford, Paris. The latter’s son, Sir Richard Wallace, Bart., Paris, 1870. Lady Wallace, Paris, 1890. Sir John Murray Scott, Bart., Paris, 1897. Bequeathed by him to Josephine Victoria, Baroness Sackville, Paris, 1912. Jacques Seligmann, Paris, 1913. Frick, 1914 (through Elsie de Wolfe, acting as intermediary).
Source: Furniture in The Frick Collection: French 18th- & 19th-Century Furniture (Pt. 2) & Gilt Bronzes. Volume VI. New York: The Frick Collection, 1992.
