Genoese workshop, Console table, gilded wood, marble top, late 17th century (inv. n. Mobili 1678)

Console tables offered a surface on which to place items without overcrowding halls intended for balls and receptions, and were much admired pieces of furniture in the 1600s. This Genoese example, richly decorated with a cherub sitting on an outcrop of rock, hiding from a lion, has a whimsical design which is in line with the architectural and theatrical taste of contemporary Genoese palaces.

The inclusion of the lion has led to the hypothesis of a connection between the piece and the Genoese Brignole Sale family, which renovated the palazzo and the furnishings at great expense in the 17th century.