Center table

The extraordinary geometric and pictorial inlays on this table bring together rare woods unique to the Caribbean island of Jamaica with imagery that speaks to Britain’s colonial control of the island. The letter addressed to Queen Victoria, multiple versions of the Union Jack flag, and heraldic symbols of royalty and aristocracy shape the table into a bold and unabashed celebration of Britain’s imperial power.

The table is labeled by Ralph Turnbull, a Scottish immigrant craftsman who operated one of the largest cabinetmaking workshops in Kingston, Jamaica, in the mid-19th century. After the emancipation of Jamaica’s enslaved population in 1834, Turnbull requested government funds to sponsor sixty apprentices in his workshop. Paid a minimal wage, many were formerly enslaved.