Museum gotta see ‘um

“THE STYLE OF DISPLAY: VICTORIAN PEDESTALS,” AT THE SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT MUSEUM. Victorian pedestals, meant to showcase sculpture, are fascinating decorative art objects. The most ornate pedestals were made in the United States during the Gilded Age — a time following the Civil War until the turn of the 20th century, when the country experienced rapid economic growth. From the mid-1860s through the 1880s in particular, collecting and displaying sculpture and objets d’art led to an increased demand for pedestals. Wealthy Victorians preferred elaborate furniture on a grand scale and richly ornamented rooms. ‘The Style of Display: Victorian Pedestals,” at the San Francisco Airport Museum, International Terminal, presecurity, through Jan. 12, 2020, showcases a number of stunning examples.

WHEN MORE WAS MORE. Victorian rooms left nothing undecorated. Patterned wallpapers were bedecked with paintings, photographs and prints; lush draperies hung from windows. Ceramics, glass, silver plate and numerous curios adorned cabinets, shelves and tables. Smaller stands showcased vases, candleholders and plants. Several pedestals displaying artistic objects might adorn the drawing room or parlor. Victorians selected pedestals that suited their tastes and living interiors. Pedestals, as a result, offer an intriguing look at the design styles popular at the time. American tastemakers looked to the past for design inspiration. Renaissance and Egyptian Revival styles flourished in the last few decades of the 19th century. Rather than concentrate on historical accuracy, designers created new interpretations, often combining more than one revival style in a single piece of furniture. Both upscale furniture firms and larger manufacturers produced a variety of pedestals. Motifs took form in high-relief carving; colorfully painted accents, ebonizing, gilding, flame veneers, marquetry, uniquely patterned burl woods, line-incised decoration and marble also adorned pedestals.