A Moorish Sandalwood & Brass Inlaid Table of Octagonal Form on a Folding Base
SOLD
Origin: Moorish
Period: Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930
Height: 17 inches
Diameter (Top): 16 inches
A mahogany occasional table, of octagonal form, the top profusely inlaid with brass in an intertwining sprouting vine design, the borders and central geometric star medallion outlined with boxwood, above sides each inlaid with brass diamonds and similar vine designs, with sandalwood banding, above architectural legs. The sides are all hinged, and while the top is permanently affixed with recent brackets (which could be easily unscrewed), we believe the table may have been originally constructed so as to be portable, with the frame folding flat, and the top to be accompanied separately.
The table has a wonderful feel and is in very good condition, there is no loss to any of the inlay, and the intricately inlaid brass has a bright, rich colour. A fine example.
'Moorish' is a term first coined in the nineteenth century to describe Islamic North Africans, typically Arabs and Berbers, and while the term now has little ethnographic use, it is used to describe the Islamic influence on art and architecture found in North Africa, southern Spain, and Portugal. Typical elements of Middle Eastern design seen in this table include the arabesque star, the almost calligraphic brass inlay, and the architectural style sides.