Ancient Roman Columns, Eagles, Sciences, and Other Representations

Centerpieces and the Ornamentation of the Early Modern European Festive Table Setting

Diachronically speaking, humans have adorned their dining tables with fascinating objects and ensembles for all sorts of reasons and on all sorts of occasions. This is especially the case when a grand celebration is involved, when a manifestation needs to take place, when one seeks to provide an intensely pleasurable experience for their guests, or even when appearances have to be kept within certain social and political circles. These reasons, and many more, can often be simultaneously ‘responsible’ for the decorative choices in a single feast: the further one looks back into European history, the more food and its consumption reflected one’s position in the…