Thomas Chippendale at Harewood House. A celebration of the life and work of Thomas Chippendale - Master Furniture Maker. Presented by Harewood House Trust.

Pier Table
c.1772
The Chippendale Society

This table made for the Circular Dressing Room, which was completely removed by Charles Barry in the 1840's, was shaped to fit the curved walls of the room and window jambs at either side. It is the only marquetry piece, from the Harewood commission, to escape French polishing and is also the only piece to retain its original painted decoration. The blue, pink and straw colours seen here provides an important clue to how the room and the surviving six chairs originally looked.

It does not appear in the surviving portion of Chippendale's bill, but it is mentioned in the Steward's Day Work Book in 1772 and again in the 1795 inventory. It was also described by Hargrove as being surmounted by a looking glass 'so placed that each object reflects the seven representations'. This looking glass has not survived, but a drawing by Robert Adam for a tripartite mirror, the 'Venecian Glass' mentioned in the 1795 inventory can be found in Sir John Soane's museum.

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