An Oval Dining Table of Massive Proportion Inset with a Superb Speciman of Cedrela Odorata Stamped Grohe A Paris
Paris. Circa 1840.
Marks:
Stamped twice on top of table base:
GROHÉ À PARIS
Provenance:
Commissioned by Augustin-Marie Pécoul Thence by descent to the previous owner
Description:
Of Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata) and mahogany. The oval top comprising a single piece of Spanish cedar within a restored mahogany cross-banded border with a carved ebonized egg-and-tongue edge, the whole raised on a quatreform mahogany base composed of four massive carved scrolling volutes decorated with acanthine carving and centered by rosettes.
The highly unusual use of a single massive specimen piece of Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata) to form the top of this striking table is explained by its fascinating provenance. The table was commissioned in France in the mid-19th century for the Pécoul family who had extensive interests on the French Caribbean island colony of Martinique. Originally from Aix-en-Provence, the Pécouls moved to the island in the 18th century, and had by 1769 established a large and successful sugar plantation centered by a mansion, which was among the grandest on the island and is now open to the public as a historic monument.
The scale of the present Spanish cedar tabletop demonstrates the immense girth which can be attained by these trees. Native to tropical America and particularly to the West Indies, the wood, which is actually a variety of mahogany, is renowned for its fragrant scent and hence commonly called a cedar.1 The wood was very rarely used in furniture, and it seems certain that the table was designed as a trophy piece, a symbol of the Pécouls’ achievements in Martinique, intended for display in their Parisian residence.
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