Whilst there are no records of the exact context for the creation of the present top, whether it was a commission by the royal family intended as a gift for Francis Columbine (d.ꦕ 1746), or merely a commission by Columbine re-affirming his duty to his country as a British officer and Governor of Gibraltar, it remains a charming example of the scagliola technique, typically Italian of🍰 origin, from the first half of the 18th century.

The present table top can be brought closer to the table tops of the Tuscan scagliolist, Pietro Antonio Paolini, active in the first half 18th century (see for example a table top sold at Sotheby's, London, Treasures, July 2013, lot 16 and one illustrated in Anna Maria Massinelli, Scagliola L’Arte della Pietra di Luna, Modena, 1997, p.23, fig.10). 

Scagliola: the art of trompe l’oeil

From the first examples of documented scagliola at the end of the 17^th century, the quality of this medium appeared to be limitless as the beginning of this art in Italy took place in the area of Carpi in Emilia-Romagna. The scagliola masters reached their height of perfection in the 18^th century as demonstrated by th🐲e present example.

The precious pietre dure table tops from the Grand Ducal Workshops in Florence which were coveted by the European court in the 17^th century undoubtedly influenced scagliola production. The figurative and ornamental repertory of scagliola table tops was vast too, and they always tried to recreate the illusion of pietra dura, of ebony and ivory inlays and engravings. For this matter, the technique of scagliola was complex and laborious depending on the image to be reproduced: it is produced by reducing a mineral ston🤡e, selenite, to a powder and mixing 𒁃it with natural coloured pigments and animal glue. The original drawing is transferred with a pounce on a marble or scagliola slab, and it is engraved with a mallet and chisel. The coloured mixtures fill the engraved drawing and are levelled with water and pumice stone. Then the work is engraved again with a burin to obtain other different colours and shades.

Francis Columbine (d.1746)

Columbine was a celebrated British Officer, who rose through the ranks from officer to major of the 8th Regiment of Foot, lieutenant-colonelcy of the 🍸;10th Regiment of Foot, major-general from 1735, and finally lieutenant-general from 1739.

In 1730, he was brought over to Gibraltar by General Joseph Sabine - the Governor at the time - to act as his lieutenant. There 🔯he met his wife, Ann Columbine (born Masters), the daughter of Streynsham Masters - the Judge Advocate of Gibraltar. Both Francis and Ann are seen in a chalk drawing by Joseph Highmore from 1741, which is now in the Fine Art Museum, San Francisco. Francis Columbine appears to have been Governor of Gibraltar in 1739-40.