Attributed to
Herter Brothers
American (New York), 1865–1908

This table would have been placed in the center of a drawing room, parlor, or library, making it a noticeable statement of its owner’s wealth and sophisticated taste. The industrial boom that followed the American Civil War brought new opportunities for wealth. American designers often looked to the past for styles that expressed their patrons’ new prosperity. The tabletop—inlaid with expensive woods, mother-of-pearl, and lacquer—is reminiscent of furniture made in France or the Netherlands in the late 1600s. The rest of the table features classically inspired urns, masks, and winged lions from the Italian Renaissance.  This synthesis of design motifs became known as the Renaissance Revival, a style popularized by the magnificent furniture and interior design of the Herter Brothers’ firm in New York.

Ebony, rosewood, mother of pearl, mixed woods, and lacquer, about 1865–70
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edward A. Kern, 1986.65