Gold, Jasper, and Carnelian:
Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court
May 30 through August 19, 2012
Breteuil Table | More about the Breteuil Table | Next >>
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Johann Christian Neuber (1736–1808), Breteuil Table, Dresden, 1779–80, wood, gilded bronze, semiprecious stones, faux-pearls, and Meissen porcelain plaques, H: 32 inches, collection of the Marquis de Breteuil, Chäteau de Breteuil (Choisel/Chevreuse); photo: Michael Bodycomb
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A table entirely made by Johann Christian Neuber was presented in 1781 by Friedrich Augustus III
to Louis Auguste de Breteuil, Baron de Breteuil (1730–1807), a French diplomat, as recognition for the role he had played in the negotiation of
the Treaty of Teschen, which officially ended the
War of Bavarian Succession. The Breteuil Table is regarded as one of the most extraordinary
pieces of eighteenth-century furniture ever made,
distinguished not only by the materials used in its
construction but also for the remarkable skill of
its creator.
The table has a mosaic top inlaid with
128 gemstones and decorated with five Meissen
porcelain plaques depicting scenes that celebrate
peace and the glory of the Baron de Breteuil. Still
owned by the family that received it nearly 250
years ago, this stunning object has rarely been
exhibited outside the Château de Breteuil (some twenty-five miles west of Paris) and has never
before crossed the Atlantic. For the table's design,
Neuber enlarged a Steinkabinettabatiere (stone
cabinet snuffbox) nearly ten times. As he did with
the boxes, he compiled a written document of the
stones he used.
An iPad application and the related Web site reproduces
the manuscript and provides information on each
stone in the table.
The exhibition is co-organized by the Grünes Gewölbe of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Galerie J. Kugel, Paris, and The Frick Collection. Support for the presentation in New York is generously provided by Walter and Vera Eberstadt, Aso O. Tavitian, Margot and Jerry Bogert, and an anonymous donor. |
