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For the 1855 Paris International Exhibition the Coalbrookdale Company turned to John Bell for a special exhibition piece. Their use of naturalistic source material is probably seen at its expressive peak in the Deerhound Hall Table. A truly remarkable piece of iron casting, the table consists of a 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in top, painted to represent marble, supported on a slim ‘branch-like’ pillar. From this four stylised arms span outward to form the plinths for the life-size, hollow-cast Deerhounds. They sit squarely on their haunches, their heads looking directly up toward their master. Each side of the table is further decorated with foliage and emblems of the chase. The complete table weighs approximately 16 cwt. It is worth noting that despite these innately admirable qualities it was still necessary to ‘pretend’ the table top was a more acceptable marble item. It is thought that the Deerhound Hall Table appeared in Coalbrookdale Company Catalogues, though unknown if any others were actually produced. Once an original design had been commissioned from a major artist by the Coalbrookdale Company then, typically, parts of that design would very likely be cannibalised by the Company designers with very little regard made to their original intention, however incongruous the new use. In a Coalbrookdale Company catalogue dating from around 1875 a hound umbrella stand has clearly been adapted from the original Deerhound Hall Table, with the motifs of the hound having given way to a heavily ornamented support of sea shells. Category: Product Institute: Ironbridge Gorge Museum
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