Vitrinasztal

The table stands on four cylindrical feet, decorated with rosettes and egg-and-dart motifs at the bottom and three carved putti clinging on the horn of a ram at the top. The shorter sides are joint by a stretcher with scroll and rosette motifs, while the middle stretcher has a richer decoration of a flower urn and two putti on the sides. The frieze is pierced with flowery angel heads at the bottom, a winged female herm and a satyr head twisted with ribbon at the top. The middle presents the allegory of the river: a naked female and male figure resting their heads on their right and pouring water from the carafe in their left. The wooden frame of the folding glass top is decorated with flat-carved rhomboid motifs twined on a leaved tendril. The inside of the table used to be lined with velvet. It presents the characteristic signs of French (Burgundy) Mannerism and was made in France or, on French influence, in Central Europe. It used to belong to the drawing room furniture of György Rath and served as a store for keeping gemmas. (see Archives Department of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts Fit 4869.) The inventory number 690 of the Rath collections can be seen on the object.