Corner tables (encoignures)

The four corner tables were designed by Chalgrin, the architect of the Salon Doré, as part of the carved and gilded wall paneling. The paneling was left purposely undecorated below the chair rail because in 18th-century France the mobilier d'architecture, or architectural furniture, was intended to be placed flush against the wall and to continue the decorative motifs of the paneling. The garlands on the corner tables echo the garlands that festoon the paneling above; the tabletops, which are antique alabaster recovered from a Roman monument, possibly the palace of Caligula, reflect the period’s renewed interest in antiquity.

The Salon Doré’s mobilier d'architecture consisted of the corner tables, two matching console tables, a sofa, and armchairs. In the center of the room there were also tables and chairs that, in contrast to the mobilier d'architecture, were intended for use by the inhabitants rather than decoration. The house was seized by the government during the French Revolution, and it is likely that the furnishings were later dispersed. The corner tables remained as a set, and in 2008 the Corcoran was able to acquire them. After 200 years, the corner tables have been reunited with their architecture. The location of the other furniture is currently unknown.