February’s Item of the Month is a rare Regency padouk, ebony and rosewood hexagonal table lantern in the form of a Gothic tower or folly, possibly Anglo Indian, circa 1825.
The fashion for Gothic Revival architecture first appeared in the mid 18th century and gained momentum alongside the Neoclassical styles popular at the time. The fashion continued to evolve well into the latter parts of the 19th century, when it was inspiring not just architecture, but literature, furnishings and fashionable dress. The Gothic Revival movement had some famous exponents in Horace Walpole, who built Strawberry Hill and William Beckford, who built Fonthill Abbey, both in the Gothic style.
Our lantern shares many design features with the gate lodges at Alscot Park in Warwickshire, which were built in 1838.