A pair of Italian carved giltwood console tables, Florentine, first quarter 18th century

each with a later mottled yellow, grey and purple moulded marble top above a frieze centred by a female mask on winged sirens joined by a scrolled stretcher centred my a moustached grotesque mask supporting a scallopshell with flowers on inward scrolled feet, the rear support carved with a grotesque winged mask the whole carved with scrolls, foliage, fruit and trails of husks

In overall good conserved condition. Gilding less greenish more golden and the marble top are slightly lighter more natural and attractive than in the catalogue photograph. Both marble tops have been restored and one has an old glue repair to a corner which is opening up again and would benefit from some minor attention but the restoration has been well executed and are not too noticeable.The marble tops are probably later. There are some old very miniscule chips to the marble tops but these are hardly noticeable. Some very minor chips and wear to gilding in places which can easily be touched up. There are some old restored breaks to the carving some of which might benefit from some attention for example the front left leg of one and the stretcher which would benefit from some infill and retouching to the gilding. There are construction cracks at joints which are normal and can be left. Impressive model and beautifully carved, highly recommended.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Alvar González-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Milan, 1986, p. 31, fig. 13.
Enrico Colle, Il Mobile Barocco in Italia, Arredi e decorazioni d’interni dal 1600 al 1738, Milan, 2000, p. 192-193. 

This exquisite pair of exceptionally carved console tables forms part of a group which has been inspired by the baroque ideas of the celebrated carver Giovan Battista Foggini (1652-1725), which were disseminated in Florence through the designs of Diacinto Maria Marmi (1625-1702) from the end of the 17^th century. One of the features of his designs was a female bust issuing from a bold volute. There is a design for a console table by Diacinto Maria Marmi dating to the end of the 17^th century (now in the Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe degli Uffizi, Florence), illustrated by Colle, op. cit., p. 192, no. 46, which depicts a winged siren supporting the top of a console table as on the offered example, reproduced here in fig. 1. These female figures  are a variant on the mermaid figures which were frequently employed as a decorative device to support marble tops on these elaborate console tables. Furthermore, Colle op. cit. p. 193, illustrates a Florentine console table dating to the early 18^th century in Villa Medicea Poggio, Caiano, with winged female supports and grotesque mask on the frieze conceived in a similar vein to the offered example and dating to the early 18^th century. The carvings that form the base of the illustrated table are partially dependent on the late baroque taste as seen in the corner console table now in the Bargello Museum in Florence, illustrated by the same author op, cit., p. 192. These tables were partially orientated towards the rococo style so much so that they became an expression of the stylistic choices made in the Florentine court during the first decades of the 18^th century. 

Another closely related console table with female sirens supporting the top  was sold Sotheby’s Florence, 4^th December 1990, lot 629, reproduced here in fig. 2.

Other related tables sold at auction include a pair of Florentine console tables with female term supports, female mask on the frieze and grotesque mask on the stretcher sold by the executors of the 6^th Earl of Rosebery and his family, Sotheby’s Parke Bernet & Co, Mentmore, Buckinghamshire, 18^th-27^th May 1977, lot 882 and subsequently sold in these Rooms, 9^th June 2004, lot 27.