Pedestal from the drawing room of the William H. Vanderbilt House. Artist: Herter Brothers (German, active New York, 1864-1906). Culture: American. Dimensions: 64 1/4 x 10 15/16 x 10 15/16 in. (163.2 x 27.8 x 27.8 cm). Date: 1879-82.Herter Brothers, the leading cabinetmaking, design, and decorating firm during the second half of the nineteenth century, created a pair (2002.298.1-.2) of opulent pedestals for their most prestigious commission, the grand Fifth Avenue residence of William H. Vanderbilt. Each pedstal is a column carved with ribbons and "jewel"-encrusted garlands. Ormolu capitals incorporate classical female masks and birds' heads; decorative mounts feature stylized foliate patterns. They were intended as an integral part of the ornate decoration of Vanderbilt's drawing room, described in 1883-84, shortly after its completion, as "gorgeous in the extreme: everything sparkles and flashes with gold and color--with mother-of-pearl, with marbles, with jewel-effects in glass--an