#pericles dressoir

[vintage-treasures]

Pericles Dressoir (1866) Designed by architect Bruce J. Talbert (1838–1881), this sideboard is a masterpiece of British high-Victorian craftsmanship. Reflecting the peak of the Gothic Revival, the piece earned its name from William Shakespeare's play Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

The central gable features a carved and gilded narrative scene from the play. The surrounding facade is engraved with multiple quotations from Shakespearean texts alluding to dining and saying grace before a meal.

Commissioned by London firm Holland & Sons, it served as the centerpiece for their stand at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867.

Loc. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Dim. 325.1 cm x 287.0 cm x 76.2 cm (128.0 in x 113.0 in x 30.0 in)