Advanced Search 
Center table
Ralph Turnbull (Scottish, active in Jamaica, 1788–1865)
Jamaican
about 1846–51
Medium/Technique
Rosewood, ebony, birdseye maple, sabicu, satinwood, padouk, lacewood, palm wood, amboyna, mahogany
Dimensions
Height x diameter: 75 × 133.5 cm (29 1/2 × 52 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Henry H. and Zoe Oliver Sherman Fund
Accession Number2019.1803
ClassificationsFurniture – Tables, stands, screens
The extraordinary geometric and pictorial inlays on this table bring together rare woods unique to the Caribbean island of Jamaica with imagery that speaks to Britain’s colonial control of the island. The letter addressed to Queen Victoria, multiple versions of the Union Jack flag, and heraldic symbols of royalty and aristocracy shape the table into a bold and unabashed celebration of Britain’s imperial power.
The table is labeled by Ralph Turnbull, a Scottish immigrant craftsman who operated one of the largest cabinetmaking workshops in Kingston, Jamaica, in the mid-19th century. After the emancipation of Jamaica’s enslaved population in 1834, Turnbull requested government funds to sponsor sixty apprentices in his workshop. Paid a minimal wage, many were formerly enslaved.
The table is labeled by Ralph Turnbull, a Scottish immigrant craftsman who operated one of the largest cabinetmaking workshops in Kingston, Jamaica, in the mid-19th century. After the emancipation of Jamaica’s enslaved population in 1834, Turnbull requested government funds to sponsor sixty apprentices in his workshop. Paid a minimal wage, many were formerly enslaved.
DescriptionVeneered center table with three-sided pedestal supported by a triangular base. The top veneered in tropical hardwoods with pictorial marquetry roundels depicting flags of France, Great Britain, and the United States, ships' hulls, Caribbean lighthouses, royal heraldic shields, masonic symbols, and a stamped letter addressed to Queen Victoria.
Marks
Engraved paper label of by Ralph Turnbull and Son affixed to the top of the central pedestal.
ProvenanceUntil 2015, private collection, The Netherlands and France; February 8, 2015, anonymous (private collection) sale, Versailles Enchères, Versailles, lot 173, to an anonymous dealer, England; about 2017, sold by this dealer to Thomas Colbourn and Sons, Sutton Coldfield, England; 2019, sold by Colbourn and Sons to the MFA. (Accession Date: September 25, 2019)