William and Mary Period Carved Wood Table - A George I Period Table - A Virginian Walnut Table

Another walnut card table, c.1720, of the early eighteenth century with graceful cabriole legs decorated with shell motif on the knee and ending in ball and claw feet. The shaping for candle stands at the corners is
clearly shown, as are the inserted cups for counters.
William and Mary period carved wood table, c.1690, decorated with gilt and gesso. The decoration of furniture by gesso was done in order to economise in carving by giving a pattern in slight relief without the need to carve it. It was a rich man’s style and comparatively small quantities were made, chiefly small tables and mirror frames. The style appears to have had a relatively short duration, from 1700 to 1735.
A George I mahogany card table, c.1725, showing the candle stands and cups for counters similar to the walnut tables of an earlier period. The bold cabriole legs end in ball and claw feet and the shaped frieze has an echo of the shell motif about it. Tables of this kind in mahogany continued to be made into the second quarter of the eighteenth century.
A card table of Queen Anne period with fine cabriole legs, c.1710, ending in ball and claw feet. The knees show the shell and pendant husk motif, having a C scroll on the inside edge. Note the shaping at the corners.
The usual covering was green velvet or a plain polished wood surface as above. The method of extending the table, which folds to a side table when not in use, is of the ‘concertina’ action type. The cabriole legs are
‘hipped’ at the top i.e. continue above the line of the frieze in a scrolled shape.
Quality of hipped cabrioles, shell motif, bold ball and claw feet
A George 11 period card table, c.1730, in mahogany with shell motif on the cabriole logs. The shaped corners for candle stands are retained but the frieze is straight.
Price Range: 175  250
A George I period table, c.1725, in oak, the tapering legs ending in pad feet. A side table which could be put to use for cards or other occasional use. The space behind the frieze is used for storage. The top flap has
clearly been damaged at the side hinge and reversed to hang down behind the table. Originally it would have been flat, on the top of the table.
A George II mahogany side table, c.1740, elaborately carved on the frieze with a lion mask and acanthus leaves. The cabriole legs have lion masks carved on the knees with ribboned flower heads and terminate in ball and claw feet. The top is a marble slab.
fora single table
A George II period games table, c.1730, in mahogany with turned tapering legs ending in pad feet. The inner right-hand back leg is on a gate which swings out behind the table to support the top when the upper flap is
opened over by means of its side hinges to produce the circular games top. This inside surface is usually covered in baize, with a broad cross-banding produced by the baize being inset into the surface. The lower flap also opens on side hinges to give access to the deep storage space behind the frieze, where gaming materials are kept. The table is a natural stylistic evolution of the walnut one ref. ST1258, and examples in solid and veneered walnut were made. Cabriole legs were also employed on same example. Note the slightly overlapping shaping at the top of the legs, sometimes extended to form a ‘fold’ at the top of the leg. The inside surfaces sometimes have ‘cups’ scooped out of them for holding the gaming counters as shown on ST1260 and ST1261.
Cabriole legs  Fold on legs
Virginian or Red’ walnut
Counter Cups
A George II, c.1740, folding top table in heavy mahogany. The cabriole legs ending in pad feet are a modification of earlier cabriole legs in that the earlier exuberance has been curbed and the leg is now much more restrained. These tables were probably multi-purpose, being used for both games and for refreshments such as tea. The left-hand back leg is on a gate, to swing open to support the top when folded over in the open position. Side hinges allow this folding action and, as with all card tables, tend to be a point of weakness or breakage over the years.
A Virginian walnut table of c.1720, with fine cabriole legs ending in spade feet. This table has lost its folding top but the centre drawer and shaping of the frieze are similar to earlier types. A provincial or country made
version of the finer examples.

A ‘Chippendale’ Folding Card or Tea Table in Mahogany - A Sheraton Period Satinwood Card Table - Regency Card Table

A ‘Chippendale’ folding card or tea table in mahogany with moulded square legs, serpentine front and elegantly shaped frieze, c.1760-70. Tables of this kind are always higher in value if of the ‘tea’ type, i.e. with solid wood surface on the interior, rather than ‘card’ type with a baize interior.
A very fine quality Chippendale card table c.1770. The edge of the frieze is gadrooned and this effect is followed down the corner edges of the legs. C
The edge of the top is also carved. The wood is mahogany. The legs are chamfered on the inside.
Later Georgian side table of c.1760. The ‘Chippendale’ straight chamfered leg has replaced the earlier pad feet. The top edge still shows a variant of the thumb-nail moulding but is heavier. As well as being chamfered on the inside the legs show a ’scratch’ moulding down the front corner, as seen on chairs, to give a further lightness to the effect. By now, the lock rail is evident under the top and the drawer thus comes below this.
Country versions might still omit the lock rail however and have pegged tenon joints.
A Chippendale mahogany card table, c.1760 with a green baize lined folding top. The edges, frieze and square chamfered legs are fretted in
the Chinese manner, which inexplicably makes this normally rather underpriced piece of furniture double its value.
N.B. Without this fretwork a plain card table of this type is now 50 The ‘tea’ version with polished interior is 60  70.
Later Georgian c.1770 side table similar to the previous example, with elm top and fruitwood legs. Note there is no lock rail under the top. The square Chippendale style legs are chamfered at the back and the front
corners
have the scratch moulding down the edge to lighten them. The drawer front is elm.
A George III, c.1765, country solid walnut side table on tapering legs ending in pad feet. The flap is supported when open by a gate leg. The top and flap are made of several planks.
A Sheraton period (1790 - 1800) satinwood card table cross-banded with rosewood. Note the tapering legs and the medal set in the top panel of the leg.
Value points: Satinwood
A Sheraton period (1790 - 1800) mahogany card table cross-banded with satinwood. Note again the oval medals at the top of the tapering legs and the inlaid stringing lines.
It is to be noted that a pair of identical tables causes the individual piece to be more than doubled. Thus a pair of such tables would be in the 600-700 range.
A mahogany circular folding table of c.1790 with Hepplewhite-cumSheraton influence in the design. A type which could be used as a games or tea table, the latter usually being claimed when the inside is not lined with baize but veneered in the manner of the outside. The stringing lines add considerable elegance as do the oval medallions in the panels at the top of each leg, which ends in a spade foot.
Value, points: Matched figuring of mahogany and stringing …
A George III satinwood and marquetry card table, c.1790, with a folding circular top, cross-banded with rosewood. The inlay consists of urns and flower festoons within a meandering band of anthemion and the frieze is similarly inlaid. The square tapering collared legs with the oval medallions at the top are of a kind generally associated with Shereton designs. These tables were frequently made in pairs.
It would be difficult to find more highly valued tables of this period.
Value points: Quality of decoration .. N.B. Inferior Edwardian copies abound.
A Sheraton period (1790 - 1800) mahogany serpentine fronted side table on tapering legs. An elegant design with interesting enlargement of the
square section added as ornamentation near the bottom of legs.
A mahogany card table of c.1800 in figured veneer with square tapering legs, ending in spade feet. There is a simple boxwood stringing line around the top edges and the frieze which is repeated around the spade foot
top. It is covered in baize inside and is not quite circular when open, although not exaggeratedly oval. Circularity is an important value point, however. This table has the advantage of a double gate, i.e. both back legs open Outwards to support the folding top when open.
Decorative inlays  Satinwood
A fairly typical plain mahogany card table of late Regency or early Victorian period, probably c.1840. The centre pedestal can be either circular in section, often of gunbarrel appearance, or octagonal, and the base
usually reflects this in design. The top swivels and opens to form a baize-lined square surface.
Value points: Rosewood
Figured woods and inlays
Regency period mahogany card table, c.1820, on turned centre column. The hinged folding top pivots on the frame which forms the frieze to provide support when open. Note the fluted square leg forms.
A fairly typical Regency card table of c.1830 on a turned centre pedestal supported by four sabre legs. The fold-over top has a beaded edge moulding and swivels about the centre to allow support from the underframe when open. Inside there is a green baize covering.
Value points: Rosewood  Brass inlays ..
A Regency period  c.1820  rosewood card table, with inlaid stringing and bead-moulded edge decoration. For some reason the semi-elliptical hoop support under the top and above the centre pedestal attracts a higher
price from dealers than other types. A sofa table with a similar support is illustrated in the relevant section. Although the craftsmanship involved in executing this design is undoubtedly high, the overall effect is to
produce a confusion of styles and a weakness of support.
Value points: Rosewood  Brass stringing  Original casters the circular and oval
A Victorian folding walnut card-table, c.1845. Like dining tables of the period, it is thinly veneered in burr walnut and inlaid with marquetry patterns. The base is quite elaborately carved. Inside the
surface is lined with baize.
A late Regency rosewood card table of c.1830. The top is inlaid with a brass border line and swivels across its underframing, which supports it when open. Bead moulding doubly decorates the frieze and the top edge of the base. It is an example of the revived rococo and conflicting designs of the period: paw feet; leaf decoration; turned, reeded and carved column; and a kind of cabochon-and-leaf corner decoration to the frieze, which is also concave.

A William and Mary Period Side Table - Mid-seventeenth Century Oak Side table - A William III Walnut Card Table

Probably one of the most collected forms of antique furniture is the occasional side table which is both decorative and sometimes functional. Early forms of side table of the seventeenth century are perhaps a little too heavy, being mainly made of oak in ponderous design, but from the late seventeenth century onwards many delightful forms of games and side tables in prevailing fashions were produced.
Value points: The common value points for examples illustrated are:
1. Top Surface. The first thing to strike the eye is usually the condition, patina and decorative figuring or inlays of the top surface. The more perfect and decorative this surface is, the more the .. rating will apply.
2. Structural Condition. This must again be good, particularly where folding tables are concerned. The Georgian and Regency card tables usually had side hinges to the folding top and these are often the cause of
damage, leading to unsightly patching, replacement and alteration. The legs and stretchers, if applicable, must be sound.
3. Legs. Depending on the period, the design and always the proportion of the legs must constitute a very important factor in the assessment of a side or games table. Carving on cabrioles, or moulding of straight legs, affects value. Legs are, of course, always liable to damage and their originality with the above points, constitutes an  factor.
4. Handles. Where a drawer or drawers are involved, original period handles constitute a  factor.
5. Shape. Later Georgian folding card tables on tapering square legs in designs generally associated with Hepplewhite and Sheraton are affected by an important factor: the shape of the top. If this is circular when
open, i.e. half round when shut, a .. factor may be assumed. Tables which are oval, or with geometrical straight sides do not attract as high a price. On these tables cross-banding of the square tapering legs constitutes a  factor.
A William and Mary period side table, c.1690, of a type generally found in walnut, but also frequently decorated with marquetry. The serpentine X stretcher is also found on earlier tables, but the inverted   form on the turned legs is more generally associated with William who brought over Dutch craftsmen from whom this form originates. The legs would be in solid walnut whereas the top, sides, drawer front and stretcher would be veneered.
Walnut side table of the post ‘Restoration’ period, c.1680. The twist turning so popular to the Restoration period continued to be used on the legs and stretchers of tables though simple turning still persisted. Walnut was by far the most favourite wood though oak by no means went out of use. While the legs and bun feet are solid walnut, the top and drawer fronts are veneered. The veneered stretcher is ‘Y’ shaped at each end, connected by an oval widening  intended for a bowl. It is more
common to have one drawer only and the best examples would be inlaid with marquetry panels.
Marquetry - Walnut - Oak
Mid-seventeenth century oak side table, c.1650, with two drawers in the frieze. Note the panelled shape of the drawer fronts, reminiscent of
chests of drawers of the period. The turned legs and square stretchers are still retained.
A solid walnut side table of William and Mary period, c.1690, with arched shaping of the frieze below the drawer. The X-shaped stretcher is well illustrated and the heavy turning and bun feet are typical. Note the
thumb-nail top edge moulding.
Value points: Proportion and quality of leg turning  Shaping of frieze
Country side table in fruitwood of William and Mary period. The baluster turning of the legs shows later characteristics but the country maker has retained the square stretchers and construction from an earlier period.
Note the drawer fitting tight under the lock rail and the square, pegged tenon joints. This type of table was made well on into the late eight= eenth century.
Small oak side table, c.1675. The simple column turning of the legs and the stretchers is of the same type as the gate-leg table illustrated earlier. The top is fixed to the framing with oak dowel pegs. The two drawers fit tight under the top without a lock rail in the framing. Note that there are now simple bun-like feet under the square leg-stretcher joints, which lift the stretchers slightly higher off the floor. On original undisturbed
pieces the dowels protrude above the level of the surface (stand proud).
A William III side table, c.1700, inlaid with seaweed marquetry. The thumb-nail moulding is ebonised. The double-scroll legs of square secticn are particular to this period and not to everyone’s taste, but the stretcher form and flat bun feet are typical. Seaweed marquetry of this quality demanded a high degree of skill and such pieces are increasingly rare.
Quality and area of decoration
A William III Walnut Card Table, c.1700, the oval folding top veneered outside and inside with burr-walnut, cross banded and with herringbone lines, the shaped frieze with three small drawers, on six tapering
octagonal legs including two rear gate-legs, united by stretchers, and with turned feet.

A Queen Anne period dressing table - A George III mahogany dressing table - country dressing table in walnut and fruitwood

Towards the end of the seventeenth century the small tables in walnut and oak or country woods specifically designed as dressing tables made their appearance. Before that it seems to have been the practice to use a
small side table with perhaps a small desk with sloping lid or mirror on it.
Since they were designed to be decorative as well as functional, dressing-tables have produced some of the most sophisticated and pleasant pieces of their periods. Their natural appeal to women of a much later
period than those of that for which they were designed has always kept them to the forefront of demand.
Dressing tables of the walnut period exhibit all the most desirable features of walnut veneered furniture: quartered tops with herringbone crossbandings; cross-grained mouldings; turned legs with early forms and
stretchers or, later , cabriole legs with scrolls, and so on. As a microcosm of period features and because of their small size, they have become very sought after and hence very expensive.
The later eighteenth century dressing tables in mahogany and country woods make no less ideal collectors pieces and hence are also greatly in demand. So far Victorian examples have not followed the analogy of
chairs and dining tables perhaps because the Victorians tended towards larger dressing tables without the same appeal.
Value points: The followingvalue points apply to the examples illustrated.
1. Top Surface. As with other tables, the condition, patina and figuring of the top surface are important. The more perfect and decorative the appearance, the more the .. factor will apply.
2. Structural Condition. This is again assumed to be good.
3. Legs. Depending on the period, the design,and always the proportion,of the legs is an important factor. Legs are always liable to damage and their condition and originality constitute a  factor if good.
A Queen Anne period dressing table and mirror set of c.1710 which are japanned in a light background with flower decoration. The table shows the typical arch shaping of the frieze and there are two acorn pendants
on the centre arch. The octagonal legs taper down to turned shaping and bun feet. The X stretcher with its scroll shaping has a central circular pedestal for a bowl. Note that the table top has a thumb-nail edge
moulding and there is a half-round or ‘D’ moulding on the front around each drawer. The mirror is described in the Toilet Mirror section.
Small walnut William and Mary period dressing table, c.1690. The top would be veneered in walnut, quartered to give a symmetrical pattern from the figure, and with a’herringbone’ or ‘feather’ inlay around it, inside the
cross-banding. The thumb-nail moulding around the top edge and indeed the decoration of the top is similar to chests of drawers of the period. A half-round moulding around the drawers is also typical. In the frieze it is usual to find a shallow centre drawer and two deep ones on either side, or two short drawers. The arched shaping of the frieze is typical. Drawer pulls are of peardrop shape in brass and on a circular or star-shaped plate, the handle being linked to a double strip of brass or iron which was passed through a small hole in the drawer front, parted, pressed down and pinned into the wood. The inverted cup form on the legs, as mentioned earlier, shows the Dutch influence, and the bun feet and shaped veneered stretchers are also typical.
Value Points: Decoration of top  Proportion of legs
Queen Anne walnut dressing table, c.1710. Note that the turned legs of the William and Mary period have now changed to cabrioles although the shaping of the frieze remains similar. The top edge moulding, veneers and drawer arrangement are still in the earlier style.
Quality of carbriole legs  Original handles
Oak dressing table of c.1740. The square section cabriole legs are still of slender shape but not the most desirable form, particularly if heavy. The shaping of the frieze has become much more sophisticated. Note the top edge moulding.
Value Points: Walnut  Fruitwood
A George III mahogany dressing table with square legs chamfered at the back, c.1770. An unpretentious table whose origins are clear from previous illustrations and of a type increasingly popular. The top edge still retains a moulding derived from the thumb-nail but now more sophisticated with an ogee curve.
Walnut dressing table, c.1720. The rather deep full top drawer gives a slightly top-heavy effect since the cabriole legs are rather slender. The top edge moulding is a refined thumb-nail type. The top veneer is quartered and cross-banded-, the drawers are edged with cock-beading and have a feather or herringbone cross banding. The handles are not original. A poor photograph which makes the piece out of proportion.
A later Georgian c.1780, country dressing table in oak. The frieze is shaped, but the slightly tapered legs hint at Hepplewhite influence. The drawers are cock-beaded and the top edge has a rather refined moulding.
Tapering legs tend to be a later feature.
George I period dressing table in fruitwood, c.1725. The arched shaping of the frieze is similar to that of earlier periods, with the projecting lip moulding or cock-bead around it. The heavy thumb-nail top edge moulding of the earlier period is now more refined. The tapering legs ending in pad feet are simpler than the cabriole but retain an elegance and proportion of design in a particularly English leg form. The handles are not original.
Later Georgian, c.1770, country dressing table in walnut and fruitwood. The three drawers in the frieze are cross-banded in fruitwood like the top, which is veneered in plain straight grained walnut. The legs are elm.
A satinwood dressing table of Sheraton period, c.1795, with mirror which folds flat to lie under the folding top. Similar designs for shaving tables and lady’s cabinet dressing tables of involved character are to be found, but this is one of the more popular designs of the period.
Value Points: Satinwood ….
Original Mirror
A mahogany dressing table of c.1820, with replacement handles. The square tapering legs and rectangularity of design reflect a Sheraton influence. The black stringing lines around the top and the drawers and frieze
are often identified with this period. Useful also as occasional writing tables, these pieces are understandably popular, as well as having a simplicity of design which allows them to blend easily with modern decor.

Regency Rosewood Sofa Table - A Sheraton Mahogany Pembroke Table

Pembroke tables are said to be named after the Countess of Pembroke who first gave orders for one of them. It seems they first appeared about 1750 and were generally made in mahogany. They do not seem to have
really caugla on until after 1780, when they were made with square tapering legs and followed Hepplewhite or Sheraton designs. The flaps on either side are supported by hinged wooden brackets. A drawer is usually
to be found opening at one end while a mock drawer is put at the other to give design balance.
Sofa tables are similar except that the flaps are at the ends of the table instead of the sides. Sheraton referred to the normal dimensions as being `between five and six feet long and from twenty-two inches to two feet broad!’ The most serviceable type have two drawers and they were frequently used to write, draw or read upon.
1. Top Surface. The condition, patina and figuring of the top surface is very important. The more perfect and decorative the top surface, the more the  rating will apply. Exotic inlays and cross-banding in satinwood,
zebrawood or other prized veneers usually constitute  factors.
2. Structural Condition. Due to their rather elegant but more fragile construction, large numbers of Pembroke tables on the market have been damaged at Borne time or another. Usually it is a leg joint or loss of a caster
which causes the trouble. The rule joints to the flaps should be examined for patching because these tend to be damaged in the same way as those on gate-leg tables. Prices shown assume sound structural condition.
3. Legs. Design and proportion of legs is important. On Pembroke tables, cross-banding of the square tapering legs can constitute a  factor.
4 Drawers. A Pembroke table without a drawer  we illustrate one — is considered a severe disadvantage from a value point of view.
A Thomas Sheraton mahogany Pembroke table, the top cross-banded with herringbone bands of kingwood, with a rising ‘Harlequin’ section with a fall-front inlaid with ribboned festoons of flowers in scorched and green fruitwood, in the manner of Pierre Langlois, the frieze with a drawer either side and simulated drawers, on square tapering panelled legs.
The design for this ‘Harlequin Pembroke Table’ was published by Thomas Sheraton as plate LVI in his ‘Drawing Book’ (1791-94). In his notes he describes such table as “serving not only as a breakfast, but also as a writing table, very suitable for a lady. It is termed a Harlequin Table for no other reason but because, in exhibitions of that sort, there is generally a great deal of machinery introduced in the scenery”. This type was also illustrated in Hepplewhite’s Guide .
This table is of further interest in that the ’till’ is inlaid with a floral garland, knotted with a ribbon-tie, in a marquetry of many woods. This is reminiscent of the highly distinctive style of inlay favoured by the emigrant French ebeniste, Pierre Langlois.
A country mahogany Pembroke table, c.1780, in heavy Cuban wood and with no drawer. The square chamfered legs owe more to the Chippendale influence than the tapering variety normally associated with this type of table. A simple and pleasing version.
The example above of c.1790 date is perhaps one of the finest of the fine: in satinwood, with marquetry inlaid, and cross-banded with rosewood. It is on square tapering collared legs and the marquetry inlay consists of urns and naturallistic festoons of flowers.
Good quality Pembroke table in mahogany with cross-banded top edge, c.1790. The tapering legs end in elegant brass casters.
Value Points: Cross banding of top  Circular or oval shape
A Sheraton mahogany Pembroke table of c.1810, The square tapering iegs have given way to the centre pedestal, the pillar of which is fluted. The four sabre style legs which support the platform at the pillar base have typical later Georgian and Regency brass casters of decorative style. The
top is veneered in highly figured mahogany and cross-banded with satinwood, which is used for the inlaid decoration also.
A rather broad mahogany Pembroke table with slightly tapering legs of c.1790. The solid top is of a particularly finely figured wood and there is a broad boxwood stringing line under the cock-beaded drawer which is continued across the leg.
A fine quality late eighteenth century  c.1790  sofa table in mahogany and satinwood. The end supports, curving elegantly out from the vertical to end in brass casters, are particularly noteworthy.
Regency sofa table, c.1810, in mahogany with lyre-shaped end supports. The top edge is moulded as well as cross-banded.
Note. The existence or hint of the lyre motif in any form inexplicably pushes prices to the top of the range.
Mahogany sofa table of later Georgian period, c.1800. The reeded curved legs on the end supports terminate in brass paw casters.
Regency sofa table with gadrooned top edge, c.1820. The curving splayed legs on the end supports are reeded.
The sofa table above is of c.1805 date and has brass mounts and stringing. The inward curving legs are reeded. Rosewood and zebrawood were used for higher quality examples as well as mahogany. The addition of brass stringing or more detailed inlay in brass adds considerably to value.
Exotic woods and inlays …
Sofa table of slightly later date c.1810 with turned supports in conjunction with inward curving legs. This form of centre support is to be found on card and other tables of the period and is never valued as highly as the end-supported type.
Regency rosewood sofa table, c.1820, the top and flaps cross-banded in satinwood. The stringing which can be seen round the drawer fronts is of brass, and brass stringing is also used on the top and in the unusual
curving support and base. The table when extended is five feet long. The semi-elliptical support under the top is highly valued by dealers.
A library or writing table of c.1820 with turned legs on casters. The three drawers are cock-beaded and the handles are typical of those used from 1780 onwards. In this case the top is solid mahogany, but leather tops are also common.
Regency rosewood library or rent table, c.1810, with octagonal revolving top inset with tooled leather. The inlaid stringing lines are of brass.
A Victorian library table of c.1850 with a leather top. The table is of oak, with drawers at each end and false drawers in the frieze at the sides. The cabriole legs are carved with flower decoration at the knee and leaf
decoration at the foot. Similar tables for library and writing use are made in mahogany or walnut.

Tripod Table of Mid-Eighteenth Century - A Georgian Mahogany Dumb Waiter - A Papier-Mache Tea Table - Early Nineteenth Century Tripod Table

The tripod table is not strictly speaking derived from the candle stand in our illustration above, but it is possible to trace the influences derived from it. This stand, c.1670, is of walnut, and was made originally for
holding a light. The octagonal top has a moulding round it which is typical of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century walnut period, and the twist turned stem represents a high degree of technical accomplishment.
A mahogany tripod of mid-eighteenth century  c.1750. The top is dished to give the rim around it, and the plain column is of pleasing simplicity. The mahogany used is of the heavy Cuban variety, very dark in colour.
Note the development of the height of the legs, becoming bolder.
A Chippendale style mahogany tripod table, c.1760. The top shows the `pic-crust’ edging which requires a high degree of craftsmanship, since the whole top is made in one piece. The stem is fluted down to the carved bulbous vase and the legs, with shell and pendant decoration on the knee, end in ball and claw feet. Note the scroll on the inside of the knee of the leg. One of the most ornate and decorated examples of this type.
A walnut stand of the early eighteenth century. The octagonal top ,again has the moulded edge of the period and is veneered in figured walnut base of the stand is now lifted off the floor by the three curved feet of
square section.
A Mahogany tripod table of c.1760 with a ‘bird-cage’ gallery beneath the top. The pillar is a fine simple form and the bold set of the legs is typical of the better and earlier Georgian tripods. The use of the gallery
construction ensures that the top can both tip up when not in use, and yet revolve when in the position shown. A wedge locks the top and gallery to the column, so that the removal of this wedge enables the whole top to be lifted off the base.
The best quality pieces have a top made from a single piece which preferably is dished to leave a moulded or ‘pie-crust’ carved edge (see Reference No. TT1383). The example above has a plain top but made from a
single beautifully figured piece of mahogany. Originally used for tea or supper and for setting out the new china tea services.
Another tripod mahogany table of c.1790, with similar stem, but the legs now flattening in curve slightly. The rounded curves are modified by the chamfered edges and more pointed design.
Tripod table of c.1790, with baluster turned stem and chamfered legs.
Tripod mahogany table, c.1790, of larger dimensions  the top approximately two feet, nine inches in diameter. Note the spirally fluted vase at the base of the tapering column stem. Until recently these were more difficult to sell, being too large for occasional or wine table use. Now they are rising in price and being used as tea tables or small dining tables.
A Georgian mahogany dumb waiter of c.1770, with finely crusted carved edge to each tier, and well-balanced pillar and vase shapes to the stem. Note the casters under the feet; a feature often found on dumb waiters
since they were, of course, designed for movement like Canterburys.
Typical eighteenth century tripod table in mahogany, probably dating from 1760 - 80. The legs have now become almost aggressively higher and bolder in curve. The tapering column has the bulbous vase at the base.
Late Georgian mahogany dumb waiter of c.1790, in which the upper tiers are of the folding flap type. Dumb waiters were used from the early eighteenth century onwards and were generally placed near a table so that
guests could help themselves without the need for servants to stand in attendance. Sheraton includes them in his Cabinet Dictionary but the designs are rather complicated.
Value points: Elegance of tripod base
Fruitwood tripod table, twenty-seven inches in diameter, c.1800. Note the rather abbreviated feet and the fact that it has been necessary to use several planks to make the top, due to the lack of width in fruitwood
trees.
Early nineteenth century country tripod table in mahogany, c.1820. The legs are in the reverse type of curve, but the stem shows the rather bulbous turning that heralds the Victorian period.
Early nineteenth century tripod table with rectangular top, c.1840, of a type expanded in size to produce a breakfast table. This smaller size could be used as a supper table and, being of the tip-up type, was useful in smaller rooms. The wood is generally mahogany and the legs and stem exhibit the same characteristics as dining tables of the period.
Yew wood tripod table, c.1800. The legs are better proportioned than the fruitwood example, although they show the steep outer curve of the later period. The top again is several planks, but yew is a wood which is
always more highly valued.
mahogany of c.1840, with hexagonal column. The top is A
veneered in plain mahogany on pine, but the column is solid. The tripod base has now become a flat one like others of the period, without legs and raised on turned knob feet.
A papier-mache tea table of c.1850, japanned and painted and with mother of pearl inlay. The baluster turning of the column is fairly typical and although this example has taken a list to starboard, some idea of the decorative value can be obtained. The outer painted decoration and that on the column and base, now faded, were originally gilt.
A cricket table. There are various theories as to why they are so-called, but it is most probable that they were used in village pubs on the green, where one could sit watching the game. They were made in oak or elm, from the eighteenth century onwards.
Later nineteenth century version of the tripod table  c.1860. The tripod legs have actually vanished and all that remains is the triangular shaped flat base with its three turned feet. The stem is now thoroughly overturned with far too many bulbs and vases.

A Mahogany Gate-Leg Drop-Flap Table - A Mahogany Dining Table - A Regency Period Rosewood Circular Table - A Mahogany Late Victorian Dining Table

A mahogany gate-leg drop-flap table of c.1770. The ‘Chippendale’influence has produced the square section legs chamfered down the back edge. The wood is still a rather heavy Cuban mahogany with good figure, now
rather faded. There are still no drawers in this table which is a pleasingly simple design. The majority available are suitable for seating six people but, occasionally, larger versions are to be found. Again these tables are subject to damage at the rule joints due to dislocation of the hinges and one should look for patching at the top and flap edges at the joining edge.
A fine mahogany dining table of c.1800 on turned columns each with three curved legs. The sweep of the latter from the central column out to the brass casters is particularly elegant. On such tables the centre section is generally bolted to the end pieces.
Regency period dining table, c.1820, in mahogany on two turned columns each supported by three curved legs. The shaping of the turning on the columns suggests a later part of the period, as do the legs, but the top is reeded round the edge and light in appearance.
Elegance of columns  Lightness of design
A mahogany dining table of c.1790 consisting of two ‘D’ ends with a single leaf supported between them. This was one of the most common forms of dining table and in many cases could be further extended by some patent or ingenious means. The example above shows square tapering legs ending in spade feet. The top edge is reeded and there is a stringing line around the bottom edge of the frieze but otherwise this is a very simple example on which the legs are perhaps a bit heavy. Many of these tables have been broken up to form two ‘D’ tables for hall or console use.
Decorative, cross-banded, inlaid examples. Decorative woods and inlays …
A Regency period dining table, c.1815 apron frieze under the two end sections on two columns, again each supported by three elegantly curved legs. The tends to add weight to the overall effect and breaks the line.
Value points: Elegance of columns  Lightness of design  Seating capacity 4  6  8  12
Regency period breakfast table in mahogany, cross-banded with kingwood, c.1825. The octagonal column is on a platform supported by unusual curved and shaped legs ending in brass paw casters. The spur shape on
the knee of the legs is particularly unpleasant.
A mahogany breakfast table of Regency design, c.1830. Like all breakfast tables this one is designed to tip up and can thus be put to one side after use. The top is a single piece of mahogany of a size capable of seating six people and has an inlaid black stringing line inset two inches from the edge, which is reeded. The point of a single-piece top is important, for tops made from two pieces tend to separate over the years, and it is often difficult to re-glue and cramp the halves together again successfully.
The base shows the departure from restrained Georgian forms to scroll-like knee pieces of concentrically ringed effect. Generally a heavy ‘knee’ like this indicates Regency or later periods.
The example here is a fairly simple one without the cross-banding or inlays of more exotic versions. At present price ranges are fairly wide for these tables which are clearly appreciated for their excellent use as a
dining table.
Curl or figured woods
A Regency period rosewood circular table of c.1830. The top is veneered in highly figured rosewood with a broad decorative brass inlaid edge banding. An apron or frieze, cross-banded in rosewood beneath the top
adds weight and proportion to it. The triangular base supports the curved triangular column which also includes a brass stringing line and exhibits a bead mould at the base joint. The base is on spur sabre-type legs endingin brass paw casters. Altogether a high quality example.
Large Regency period dining table, c.1835, of extendable type with leaves which are inserted in the centre section to provide greater seating capacity. A type of table now somewhat reserved for board rooms and public banqueting halls but which nevertheless follows the development of the earlier Georgian type with two ‘D’ ends between which leaves could be inserted, This table would seat approximately twenty people. The legs are spirally reeled. N.B. It is interesting to note that ten years ago such tables were hard to sell and often cut up for the good quality wood of which they were made.
A Regency period rosewood circular dining table of c.1825. The top is veneered in figured rosewood and the centre pedestal is geometrical in section. The rather heavy but simplified base is typical of this type of table
which has increased greatly in popularity and price in the last two years. Usually these tables are of the tip-up type.
An early Victorian  c.1850  circular dining table of a type found in both mahogany and burr walnut veneer. The tripod carved base with its leaf, scroll and paw foot carving shows great exuberance and quality of
execution, even though our artist’s lack of serious feeling for the period has given the impression that the piece is on its way to the chiropodist’s. It is an example of good Victorian cabinet work.
A mahogany late Victorian dining table with the heavy underframe and ponderously turned bulbous legs. The top is usually made of two or three leaves and the table can be of the extending type. Note that the edge
moulding has become rather over-emphasized.
Quality of leg turning  Figured woods
A late Victorian or Edwardian mahogany dining table, c.1870 onwards. The square cornered influence of the late nineteenth century gives rise to a mixture of designs which wholly fail to blend.
Value points: Mahogany
Examples are frequently to be found in oak and American walnut.

Antique Work Table - A Regency Work Table in Mahogany - A Victorian Walnut Work Table

Work tables for use by ladies, with space for needlework materials in a well below were a later 18th century phenomenon and were made in a variety of forms. We have illustrated some typical examples and have
included a number without the silk bag but with small drawers instead. It can be mentioned that Sheraton illustrated some designs, as did Gillows. In the Regency period and after, some very elaborately decorated
designs appeared in a variety of styles; the later Victorian type of octagonal form, with tapering well, supported on a tripod base, have recentlybecome popular and are being sold in a range from 15-25 depending on the veneered surface decoration.
A Regency work table in burr walnut with side drop flaps and three drawers, on Disneyesque paw feetwithreeded scrolls. Under the lowest drawer a slide acts as a drawer frame for the pleated silk bag.
Value points: Burr walnut
A Regency mahogany work table with drop flaps and a centre drawer with work bag sliding beneath. The end supports consist of two turned columns on raised feet and a turned stretcher, in the style of the columns
connects the two.
Figured woods and inlays  Quality of turning
A Regency yew wood work table on a turned baluster stem and four carved feet ending in brass paw casters. An unusually circular piece, which, had it been in any other wood than yew, should not have been priced at
more than 50.
An early Victorian mahogany work table with folding top, two drawers and silk bag on slide. Supported on an octagonal centre column on shaped platform on turned flat bun feet.
A late Georgian mahogany work table with three shallow drawers, inlaid with boxwood stringing. Note here again the slightly ‘bamboo’ effect in the turning of the tapering legs.
Choice of figured woods and inlays Quality of leg turning
A simpler mahogany work table of the later Georgian or Regency period. The turned legs are simply executed and the mahogany is not greatly figured. The casters are original.
Figured woods and inlays … Quality of leg turning
A Regency period work table on tripod stand, in mahogany. There are two flaps, Pembroke table style, which can be supported on brackets, to give greater surface area to the top. The two drawers open at the visible
end; on the other end two mock drawer surfaces are included to give balance.
Elegance of tripod stand  Choice of figured woods and inlays
A Regency work table in mahogany with three drawers veneered in figured wood. The centre column is turned and carved with leaf pattern. The four carved legs end in paw feet on casters. Note that the drawer fronts are cross banded.
A japanned and painted work table of c.1840. It is constructed on the Pembroke table principle with two side flaps which are supported by small hinged wooded brackets. The drawers are cock-beaded.
Quality of painted decoration …
Mother of pearl inlays
A Victorian walnut work table of c.1860 date. The octagonal top lifts to give access to a compartmented interior and the tapering central column is hollow to allow for storage of wools. It is raised on carved cabriole legs. Usually the tops of such pieces are veneered with a thin sheet of decorative burr, but mahogany and rosewood examples with variations exist. Marquetry inlaid tops are also fairly common in the walnut varieties.
The lids usually made of cheap pine on to which the mahogany was veneered, often warped and, therefore, do not close properly.

Oak Table of Refectory Type - Late Seventeenth Century Oak Gate-Leg Table - George I Period Mahogany Drop-Leaf Gate-Leg Dining Table

An early oak table of refectory type, c.1600. The large turned legs are connected almost at floor level with heavy stretchers. The main under frame is tenoned into the square tops of the legs and the table top consists of three or four massive oak planks. The main under frame provided a frieze for decoration and was often richly carved. The top was held in position either by under battens or oak dowels driven through the top into the under frame.
Depending on decoration and size. Larger tables are in the higher range.
A slightly more developed small oak table of the early seventeenth century, c.1630. The turned legs are less bulbous than those seen on earlier tables and the frieze provided by the under frame is panelled, to allow for
decoration. The fluting of the legs started to replace the bulb type in late Jacobean times and remained in use until after the Restoration.
Quality of carving and reeding of legs.
Mid-seventeenth century oak table  c.1650 - with column turned legs, (sometimes called gunbarrel type). The floor-level stretchers are still evident and the top is made of three thick solid planks. The frieze is quite
plain.
Late seventeenth century oak gate-leg table  c.1690  of fairly small dimensions, which could seat four people. Note the bun-shaped feet and the more developed turning of the legs.
Value points: Quality of turning on legs.
Size:  again larger tables to seat more people gain value probably following:- 6 people,8 people,12 people.
N.B. This criterion does not apply to very small gate-leg tables for side use, which command a high premium.
George III period oak gate-leg table with tapering legs ending in pad feet, c.1765. A type of table made for a considerable period throughout the mid and late eighteenth century. This example is exceptional in size and
therefore the centre section is particularly wide.
George I period mahogany drop-leaf gate-leg dining table, c.1725. The scrolled cabriole legs show the hoof foot with which the cabriole leg was originally associated, being derived from an animal form. Tables of this
type, with less refined form of leg, leading to the square ‘Chippendale’ type as with chair development, continued to be made well on towards the end of the eighteenth century.
Small oak gate-leg table of c.1670, with column turned legs but ending in square feet with a slight outward splay instead of the turned feet of our other examples. This is a simple table with plain, square section
stretchers between the legs. The joint between the flaps and centre section is of the tongued and grooved type which was superseded in the eighteenth century by the rule joint.
George III period square drop-flap mahogany gate-leg table, c.1760, with scrolled cabriole legs ending in ball and claw feet. The moulded edge of the table top is unusual and is similar to that found on some Victorian tables, with the exception that this is bolder but still detracts from the appearance.
Mid-Georgian drop-leaf table in mahogany of the gate-leg type, c.1760. The solid mahogany tapering legs end in pad feet. The main frame was often made from pine or else from oak and the centre flap secured to it by screws let in at an angle from underneath. A particular weakness with these tables is at the ends of the rule joints between flaps and centre, where part of the joint tends to split off. They make useful dining tables for the small modern home, since they can be folded away but their one defect is that of all gate-leg tables; there tend to be too many legs under the table when in use.
Late seventeenth century gate-leg table in walnut, c.1690. Note the unusual features of turned stretchers and different turning of gates and centre section legs.

Antique Mahogany Tripod Table - Tripod Tea Table - Regency Rosewood Library  Table

The principle role of tripod tables has been as wine or occasional tables for social use. As a piece of furniture a tripod table of small size is decorative and useful in this respect but easilyknocked over and liable to damage. Many of the tripod tables for sale in shops nowadays are marriages of top and base from different origins for this reason. The tripod legs, keyed into the central column, are also easily damaged and the joint split due to an excessive weight being placed on the table. A metal spider is often screwed under the base to reinforce the legs against this.
The original method of securing the top was by two parallel bearers hinged to fit on to the squared top of the stem. Sometimes a gallery or ‘bird cage’ was used and this, being regarded as a mark of quality, tends to
add to price. By placing a weight too near the edge of the table it is possible to damage the top fixingalso and many of these have had to be repaired.
To detect a ‘marriage’ examine the underside of the top for old screw holes or marks of previous bearers. Although successful unions do take place there is usually a loss of proportion and relationship between top and base. Do not be misled, in country versions, by talk of country craftsmen using one wood for the top, another for the stem and another for the legs. Although this may have happened it was not nearly so widespread as the subsequent repairers would have us think.
Value in tripod tables is dictated by the same considerations as those of other furniture; quality of craftsmanship, proportion, colour and choice of wood, polish and patination. Above all , originality is to be prized as much as structural condition.
Regency rosewood library or rent table with octagonal revolving top inset with tooled leather. The inlaid stringing lines are of brass.
Large Regency period dining table of extendable type with leaves which are inserted in the centre section to provide greater seating capacity. A type of table now somewhat reserved for board rooms and public
banqueting halls but which nevertheless follows the development of the earlier Georgian type with two ‘D’ ends between which leaves could be inserted. This table would seat approximately 20 people.
N. B. It is interesting to note that ten years ago such tables were hard to sell and often cut up for the good quality wood of which they were made.
The tripod table is not strictly speaking derived from the candle stand in our illustration above but it is possible to trace the influences derived from it. This stand is of walnut and was made originally for holding a light.
The octagonal top has a moulding round it which is typical of the late 17th and early 18th century walnut period and the twist turned stem represents a high degree of technical accomplishment.
A mahogany tripod of mid-18th century. The top is dished to give the rim around it and the plain column is of pleasing simplicity. The mahogany used is of the heavy Cuban variety, very dark in colour. Note the
development of the height of the legs, becoming bolder.
A mahogany tripod supper-table of c. 1750. The scalloped top is decorated in the centre with leaf carving. This illustration is in fact a reproduction and the centre column turning is not perhaps of as beautiful a design as the top should be supported on.
A walnut stand of the early 18th century. The octagonal top again has the moulded edge of the period and is veneered in figured walnut. The base of the stand is now lifted off the floor by the three curved feet of square section.
A tripod mahogany tea table of c. 1760 with fluted column and scalloped edge carved with shell patterns.
A Chippendale style mahogany tripod table. The top shows the .’pie-crust’ edging which requires a high degree of craftsmanship, since the whole top is made in one piece. The stem is fluted down to the carved bulbous vase and the legs, with shell and pendant decoration on the knee, end in ball and claw feet. Note the scroll on the inside of the knee of the leg. One of the most ornate and decorated examples of this type.
Typical 18th century tripod table in mahogany, probably dating from 1760-80. The legs have now become almost aggressively higher and bolder in curve. The tapering column has the bulbous vase at the base.
Late 18th century tripod table with baluster turned stem and chamfered legs.
Fruitwood tripod table 27″ in diameter. Note the rather abbreviated feet and the.fact that it has been necessary to use several planks to make the top due to the lack of width in fruit-wood trees.
Another tripod mahogany table of 1770-90 date with similar stem, but the legs now flattening in curve slightly. The rounded curves are modified by the chamfered edges and more pointed design.
18th century tripod mahogany table of larger dimensions - the top approx. 2ft. 9in. in diameter. Note the spirally fluted vase at the base of the tapering column stem. Until recently these were more difficult to sell, being too large for occasional or wine table use. Now they are rising in price and being used as tea tables or small dining tables.
18th century yew wood tripod table. The legs are better proportioned than the fruitwood example although they show the steep outer curve of the later period. The top again is several planks, but yew is a wood which
is always more highly valued.
Early 19th century tripod table with rectangular top, of a type expanded in size to produce a breakfast table. This smaller size could be used as a supper table and, being of the tip-up type, was useful in smaller rooms.
The wood is generally mahogany and the legs and stem exhibit the same characteristics as dining tables of the period.
A rather delicate tripod table of c. 1800. The top is octagonal and painted - in line with other furniture of the Sheraton period. Note that the legs are now in a reverse curve from previous styles.
Later 19th century version of the tripod table - the tripod legs have actually vanished and all that remains is the triangular shaped flat base with its three turned feet. The stem is now thoroughly over-
turned with far too many bulbs and vases. Early 19th century country tripod table in mahogany. The legs are in the same reverse type of curve as the previous example, but the stem shows the rather bulbous turning
that heralds the Victorian period.