A Rare Art Nouveau Guéridon Table
In the Manner of François-Rupert Carabin (1862-1932)

- Rare Art Nouveau table with intricate figural and naturalistic carvings

- Exhibited at Brighton Museum in 1971, from the notable Gerald Stonehill collection

- Bears a close resemblance to the renowned works of celebrated French sculptor Carabin

Carved from solid Pine, the tabletop with superbly carved figural busts of two lovers, perhaps Dante’s Paolo & Francesca, the woman’s long locks engulfing the couple and forming the tabletop; supported on a tripartite base with carved naturalistic details of bulrush, leaves, and branches.
French, circa 1890

Exhibited at the Brighton Museum, 5 May – 31 August, 1971, as no.257.

Provenance:

Gerald Stonehill, Esq., residing at One The Boltons, London, SW10; thence by descent
Private Collection, UK

The importance of this table cannot be underestimated as a rare and beautiful example of carved Art Nouveau design of the late 19th century when the movement was at its peak. It was presented alongside some of the most iconic works of fine art and design in 1971 in Brighton, including René Magritte’s ‘The Future of Statues’ of 1937, on view at Tate Modern, as well as the world-famous Lobster Telephone by Salvador Dali.

While research is still in progress, the design and execution of the table bears a close resemblance to the furniture and designs of François-Rupert Carabin (1862-1932), a celebrated French Art Nouveau sculptor. Although he is only known to have produced around twenty pieces of furniture during his lifetime, many of these have the same distinct features as the present table. The musée des art décoratifs in Paris has a carved case with three-dimensional figures, similar to the unique ‘four elements’ table sold Christie’s 2002 for $427,500 USD. On a smaller scale, a single candlestock from the Lloyd & Barbara Macklower Collection with a long-haired maiden similar to that featured on the Butchoff table, sold Sotheby’s 2019.