Console table (Genoa workshop)

In noble Baroque dwellings,
  console tables were among the most sought-after items of furniture because
  they provided a convenient surface without cluttering the large rooms, which
  had to remain free to leave as much space as possible for entertaining. The marble top of this console rests on a carved, gilded,
  decorative delight: a putto sitting on a spur turns around, almost completely
  twisting himself, while trying to shelter from a lion. The
  design should be considered in close relation with the architecture of the
  noble palaces of Genoa, with their painted and stucco decoration and with the
  erection of the various temporary structures. The decorative subjects were
  often suggested directly by clients, as in this case, where the lion could
  refer to the Brignole Sale family, whose palace was splendidly renovated
  throughout the 17th century.