This is a sculpture (read table base) designed around a marble table top that friends brought back from India while visiting the Taj Mahal. The translucent octagonal marble top is inlaid with semi-precious stones in a process I believe is called parchin kari. The marble top is intended for illumination from beneath to highlight the pattern rendered by the semi-precious stone inlays.
The table structure is based upon four bronze tubing legs that end with heron feet for greater stability. These feet also allow for the final leveling of table as they have multiple touch points with the floor surface. The bronze legs are secured to the under-mounted steel housing of the light box which is then disguised by an ornamental hammered bronze and copper exterior.
Because the marble top, the steel light box and the 1/4 inch protective plate glass cover make the table top heavy, the struts and infrastructure are very important components to forestall tipping and create stability. You can see the hand-forged, parabolic-shaped steel supports (with twists) that I employed to achieve this structural integrity.
Of course the bronze tubing allows one to conceal the electrical feed from the floor to the under-mounted light box. A three level dimmer switch is easily accessible but concealed under the light box.
Below you will see a slideshow of a process that took many months to conceive, design and create a table support that was delicate in its features yet structurally sound.
tcmsculptures
tcmsculptures 