A Fine Moorish Revival Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Fish Table, circa 1880

A Fine Moorish Revival Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Fish Table, circa 1880

A highly unusual and richly decorated late 19th-century Moorish Revival octagonal table, constructed in hardwood and extensively inlaid with mother-of-pearl and contrasting materials.

The octagonal top is particularly striking, centred by a large circular panel depicting a profusion of stylised fish swimming amongst scrolling aquatic foliage, the numerous mother-of-pearl fish shimmering against the dark ground and creating an almost continuous underwater pattern. The central medallion is enclosed by further foliate decoration and a bold geometric inlaid border.

The elaborate architectural base is conceived in the Moorish taste, each side formed with a horseshoe arch outlined in alternating light and dark inlay and surmounted by panels of finely turned spindle decoration. Projecting galleries, turned columns and shaped supports give the table the appearance of a miniature Islamic pavilion.

The combination of Islamic architectural forms, geometric ornament and the wonderfully animated fish-filled top makes this a particularly distinctive example of late 19th-century Orientalist furniture.

76 x 52 x 52