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The Farnese table is one of the most beautiful and evocative pieces of Renaissance furniture in existence. It was designed by Giacomo da Vignola, the marble piers were carved by Guglielmo della Porta, and the pietre dure top is attributed to the French stonecutter Jean Ménard (active Italy, 1525-1582).
In its form - a marble top supported on three marble piers - the table reflects ancient Roman prototypes, such as are depicted in ancient frescoes. Each pier is carved in the centre of each side with a grotesque torso and a coat of arms and on each end with a sphinx emerging from foliage. The top is a slab of white marble sumptuously inlaid in ancient Roman style with many different coloured marbles and with semiprecious stones called pietre dure. So rich is the inlay that the white marble matrix is visible only in the lines that surround various borders and the larger geometric figures, which include medallions, cartouches, rectangles, and ovals. In the centre of the slab, enclosed within black slate borders decorated with pietre dure rosettes and stylised lilies, are two panels of Egyptian alabaster.
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