A rare and important Egyptian Revival pedestal attributed to the celebrated New York furniture and decorating firm of Kimbel & Cabus (active 1863–1882), among the foremost interpreters of the American Aesthetic Movement during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Executed in ebonized wood with gilt incised decoration and applied classical ornament, the pedestal displays an architectonic tapering form surmounted by a circular top above sculptural Egyptian female bust mounts with tripartite headdresses. The stepped base incorporates stylized sandaled feet and Neo-Grec geometric motifs, combining Egyptian Revival imagery with the refined linear ornament characteristic of the firm’s sophisticated decorative vocabulary.

This exact model is illustrated in the Kimbel & Cabus design catalogue preserved at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, firmly establishing the attribution to the maker. The form is further corroborated by a closely related pedestal in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Kimbel & Cabus embraced the renewed fascination with ancient Egypt that swept Europe and America following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, incorporating Egyptian-derived motifs into furniture forms intended for fashionable Aesthetic interiors. Their work was prominently exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and today remains highly sought after among advanced collectors of nineteenth-century American decorative arts.

Surviving examples of this form are exceedingly scarce, with fewer than five examples believed extant. Known examples include the Brooklyn Museum example, another in a prominent San Francisco Bay Area private collection, and the present newly discovered example. Notably, this pedestal appears to be the only presently known example retaining untouched “as found” surface character with substantial original decorative finish and ormolu intact. The present example further differs from the Brooklyn Museum pedestal by its unusually honest, unrestored state, offering valuable insight into the original appearance and surface treatment employed by Kimbel & Cabus during the firm’s Egyptian Revival period.

Dimensions: 16.5 in. wide x 16.5 in. deep x 42 in. high.

Pickup & Shipping: This lot is available for free pickup in Sacramento. For crating and freight delivery we recommend Capital Crating. For blanket wrapped delivery within California, contact Delbert McCrea (831) 566-6088. For cross-country shipping, CCC Transport can be reached at (929) 450-5027.

Honest age-appropriate wear consistent with approximately 150 years of use and survival. Surface losses, craquelure, shrinkage cracks, abrasions, and wear to the ebonized finish throughout, particularly to the top surface. Structurally sound overall. Retains its original ormolu and gilt decorative embellishment. An untouched and unrestored example with highly desirable original surface character.