VICTORIAN MAHOGANY AND MARBLE TABLE, OF CRIMEAN WAR INTEREST
MID 19TH CENTURY
the rounded rectangular top with an inset marble slab inscribed ‘SEVASTOPOL DOCKSS [SIC] 1855’ over frieze drawers to opposing sides with dummy drawers on the others, supported on a leaf carved baluster and four scrolled outswept legs
64cm wide, 71cm high, 57cm deep
Note: The strong and heavily fortified Black Sea port of Sevastopol, on the south-west coast of the Crimea, was the main naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. During the Crimean War (1853–56), the capture or destruction of this stronghold became the main military object of the allied British, French and Turkish armies opposing Russia. Sevastopol endured an eleven-month siege before finally capitulating to the enemy in September 1855.  In order to prevent the restoration of Sevastopol as a Russian stronghold the British destroyed the dry docks in January 1856 and Fort St Nicholas was destroyed by the French in February 1856.