Lectern

Florence, Italy

19th century with older parts

  • Titles Lectern (Descriptive)
  • Medium gilded walnut and velvet
  • Dimensions 50 1/2 × 20 1/2 × 24 1/2 in. (128.3 × 52.1 × 62.2 cm)
  • Credit Line Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1959.44
  • Work Type lectern
  • Classification Furniture

See More of the Collection

Head in profile right.
Assembled seven-piece tea service of solid light blue jasper (some pieces with an additional darker blue jasper dip) with applied white jasper decoration, all decorated in the same way, the molded round tray with a central leafy floral motif and band of arabesques around the rim interspersed with small, classical vignettes, including Cupids at Play, the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche, the Sacrifice to Hymen, and Aesculapius and Hygeia, the service otherwise consists of two cups and two saucers, both with acanthus leaves around the lower body with a band of ribbon below the main body, which is decorated with arabesques interspersed with classical figures, two of which are in beaded, oval reserves, the cup handles are scrolled with applied white acanthus motifs, the saucers each with a band of acanthus leaves and a smaller band of oak leaves with acorns, the teapot with like decoration, with straight spout and loop handle, the domed cover with acanthus leaf motifs and flat finial, the waste bowl, covered sugar bowl and creamer all with like decoration.
Cupid Riding Pegasus, Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz, Modeled after a cut stone by Giovanni Pichler, cast iron
Creamware teapot molded and shaped to resemble a tree stump, with curved branch handle and spout, in high relief on one side a seated couple in a landscape [Hebe and her lover], the man offering a nest full of eggs to the woman in his outstretched left hand, above them an unrolled scroll with the words FAIR HEBE and additional illegible script, on the other side the portrait medallion of a man [William Shenstone] below the name SHENSTONE and two cherubs underneath placing laurel and acanthus leaves on a wreath surrounding the medallion, overall highlighted with green, blue and brown glazes on cream, the conforming flat cover with leaf and branch finial.