Center tables with marble tops were status symbols of the 19th century — the bigger the tabletop, the higher the status accorded. Marble tabletops with grooves around the edges merited greater attention and envy. This center table is unusual because its narra base is not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill turned baluster with a pumpkin-shaped body terminating with three legs. The neck of the baluster is carved with Chinese symbols, an unusual feature. Furthermore, attached to the base from top to bottom are three flanges with a curvilinear outline that widen towards the bottom to become legs. The edges of the flanges are carved with acanthus leaf scrolls and numerous C-scrolls are carved all over the sides. This table is very similar to one in the Paulino Que Collection and was probably made by the same artisan. The table top of the Que tabel is of a purple marble with molded channels carved around the edges. This particular table, however, has a gray marble top that may not necessarily be contemporary with the base and could be a replacement of an original one. -Martin I. Tinio, Jr.
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Round Marble Table 3rd Quarter of the 19th-Century
Narra and Marble
H: 31” D: 48 1/2” (79 cm x 123 cm)
SOLD: PHP 443,840
Provenance: Binondo, Manila