Table

Thomas Hope, heir to a Dutch banking fortune, was an influential connoisseur, collector, and designer in England. In 1799 he acquired a grand London mansion on Duchess Street and set about creating a wholly original domestic interior. He helped to formulate the Regency style (c. 1800–1830), combining Greek, Roman, and Egyptian motifs and styles he’d seen on his extensive travels. This table, noteworthy for its bold proportions and striking ornamentation, may have adorned his famous picture gallery, created to emulate a Greek temple. Hope’s book Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, published in 1807, included illustrations of his designs and furniture, including this table, and introduced the term “interior decoration” to the English language.