Pier table 1815 - 1819

This mahogany pier table with marble top and gilded bronze ornamentation was made in New York by Charles-Honoré Lannuier. Lannuier was one of several French émigré cabinetmakers who found a ready clientele among wealthy Americans eager to emulate the Empire style popular in Europe. This table illustrates the way that artistic styles can reflect political power. The Empire style, with its appropriation of Roman motifs, consciously evoked the power of the Roman empire to legitimise the authority of Napoleon. Here, the caryatids reference classical antiquity, while the eagle evokes Napoleon and, by extension, the power of America itself. This conspicuous display of wealth speaks to the social structures of the time. To understand this object fully, we might research the lives of the patrons who commissioned such pieces, exploring their values and aspirations. The pier table shows us how art and design can embody social and institutional histories.