The Teschen Table

In 2015, Factum Arte created a perfect facsimile of the Teschen Table, an 18th-century diplomatic gift commemorating the Treaty of Teschen of 1779. The original table, crafted in 1780 by Johann-Christian Neuber, was gifted by the Duke of Saxony to the French ambassador and diplomat, Baron Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier de Breteuil. It entered the collection of the Musée du Louvre in 2015, on the condition that a facsimile would be created for permanent display at the Château de Breteuil.

Facsimile of the Teschen Table © Oak Taylor-Smith | Factum Arte

The Teschen Table is decorated with 128 semi-precious stones sourced in Saxony and Meissen porcelain medallions, set within a carved and gilded frame. The complexity of the object required multiple recording techniques, supported by the table’s condition report. The Lucida 3D Scanner was used to capture the surface, while close-range photogrammetry recorded the table’s intricate shape.

Factum Arte’s team employed advanced output technologies — including CNC milling, several types of 3D printing, waterjet cutting, multi-layered printing onto gesso-coated aluminium, and centrifugal casting — to reproduce the table with extraordinary fidelity, including the book preserved inside the drawer. The project exemplifies how digital innovation and traditional craftsmanship can work together to preserve historical artefacts for future generations.

You can learn more about the recreation of the Teschen Table on Factum Arte’s website.