Curves in Iron & Stone: Marble Topped Cast Iron Cafe Table

Marble-Topped Cast Iron Table
France, late 19th century

A refined late 19th-century French table featuring a rectangular marble top set on an elegant cast iron base. The pale marble surface, finely honed and subtly veined, rests on a sculptural iron support composed of gracefully curved legs joined by stretchers accented with turned brass finials. The sinuous ironwork reflects the transition from utilitarian workshop furniture to decorative industrial design characteristic of the period.

Such tables were commonly used in cafés, boutiques, or ateliers, valued for their durability as well as their visual appeal. The combination of marble and cast iron provided a cool working surface and exceptional stability, while the restrained ornamentation suggests production by a skilled foundry rather than a purely functional maker.

The table retains a pleasing, time-worn surface throughout, with age-appropriate patination to the iron and gentle wear to the marble consistent with long use. Versatile in scale, it lends itself equally well as a console, center table, or occasional table in both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Dimensions:
39" length × 19.25" width × 29.25" height