Console Table

The intricate carving on this console table exemplifies the fanciful heights and extravagant forms achieved by German craftsmen during the 1730s-40s. The combination of incongruous elements—a dragon, birds, hunting implements, lightning bolts, and fruited vines—appears occasionally in German chinoiserie (Asian-inspired motifs). Console tables like this were made to be attached to the wall, generally matching the gilded paneling of the original room. Conservation has uncovered the table’s original gilt surface, which was well preserved under several layers of gesso and later gilding.