Description
Exquisite gilt Moorish Alhambra carved table Calligraphy c1900 Islamic
This is a beautifully carved and inlaid table as shown in the images above.
It is of the smaller sized type but sometime in the early 20th century it has been gilded and the gold paint now has acquired a patina of it own with a light distressed look.
The top is delightfully decorated with carved geometric and floral designs and a complete and intact central inlaid panel in the shape of a star.
Each of the sides has a wonderful cut out section below which is what we refer to as a deer’s head.
A lot of work has gone into making this wonderful piece of furniture.
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Tables of this type were made in Egypt and Syria between 1850-1920 and retailed at Liberty & Co in London. Many European travellers bought them back after visiting the “Holy Land” (Egypt/Sinai, Palestine/Bethlehem, Syria and Jordan) when Thomas Cook made access to the region affordable for the emerging Victorian middle class.
The is a very attractive and functional work of art – it can just sit and look pretty or would look amazing with a vase or Oriental sculpture (NOT to be used for plants: so many of these tables have been ruined over the decades by water leaking from plants pots).
This exquisite table is guaranteed at least 100 years old.
This beautiful table is of a diminutive size: 16” height x 10.5” widest point across the top.
Please have a good look at the photographs provided to assess the condition.
All the inlay is intact which is amazing considering it is the first area to become damaged for all sort of reasons including children, pets and central heating. There are some small sections where the gilding has worn through to the wood and a small section of wear along one side of the top.