Tables

Richly figured walnut and rosewood veneers are combined with ebony veneering and finely cast ormolu mounts throughout. The rectangular top is framed by an acanthus-cast ormolu edge above a slender columnar support with gilt-mounted fluting, raised on a quadripartite base with scrolling legs in the Louis XIV manner. The contrast between the warm veneers, dark ebony ground, and gilt metalwork is especially effective.

The table reflects the strong French influence present in the finest English Regency furniture and relates closely to the work of the London cabinetmaker Thomas Parker. Best known for his revival of Boulle work during the Regency period, Parker frequently adapted Régence and Louis XIV forms to English tastes, combining French ornament with the cleaner proportions favored during the reign of George IV.

Several documented tables attributed to Parker employ closely related bases, including examples with scrolling quadripartite supports, lion-mask mounts, and clustered column shafts. A closely related tripod table attributed to Parker and supplied to George IV was illustrated by H. Blairman & Sons in 2007.¹

Thomas Parker operated from 19 Air Street, Piccadilly between 1808 and 1817, later relocating to Warwick Street, Golden Square, where he remained active into the late 1820s. The Prince Regent, later George IV, patronized the firm and commissioned notable furniture for Carlton House, including a pair of caskets-on-stands.²

Elegant and confident, with beautifully radiating satinwood veneers, superb rosewood and kingwood crossbanding throughout, and a richly figured central panel of burr yew. The demilune top veneered in radial segments and outlined with finely executed banding and inlay.

The bold geometry and use of contrasting woods are strongly characteristic of late eighteenth-century Dublin cabinetmaking.¹

Suitable as a pier table, console, or serving table.

With a rectangular Portoro marble top above a finely carved leaf-form apron, the table is raised on freestanding Gothic columnar supports joined by an elaborate pierced fretwork X-form stretcher. The base is distinguished by its open construction and exceptional carving. The contrast between the substantial marble top and the delicately pierced framework gives the table a distinctive profile.

The Gothic-inspired supports reflect the more imaginative and experimental side of eighteenth-century English design. The carving and fretwork are unusually elaborate, though the table never feels overdone. The marble top is antique, though likely later.

As a console, serving table, or center table, the piece is remarkably versatile. The open fretwork base offsets the visual weight of the marble top, allowing it to sit comfortably in both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Provenance:
Basil Dighton, London (among the more prominent London antiques dealers of the early 20th century; in partnership with Leonard Partridge, 1928–1930)
Purchased October 1, 1924 by Julia Murphy Grant, wife of the Honorable Hugh J. Grant, Mayor of New York, 1889–1892
By descent in the family
Private collection, New York

Bold and highly sculptural, the circular top veneered in finely figured pollard oak with beautifully book-matched veneers, crossbanding, and ebony inlay, above a richly cast brass molding to the perimeter. Raised on a tricluster pedestal encircled by carved and giltwood collars, terminating in a tripartite base similarly inlaid with ebony stringing and supported on gadrooned bun feet fitted with recessed casters.

The table displays several features associated with the work of the celebrated English designer George Bullock, including its tricluster pedestal, boldly modeled base, and use of ebony inlay. Bullock was also known for his use of indigenous woods, often elevating native timbers through sophisticated design and craftsmanship rather than relying exclusively on imported exotic materials.

The richly figured pollard oak is selected and laid to emphasize the movement of the grain across the top. The combination of pollard oak, ebony inlay, giltwood collars, and brass molding is particularly successful.

Suitable as a center table, library table, or intimate dining table.

Chosen for its color, proportion, and presence.

The solid rosewood top formed from a single plank with a gadrooned edge above two drawers with raised cushion fronts framed by intricate dentil molding, the reverse with matching false drawers allowing the table to stand freely within a room. Raised on exuberantly turned legs joined by a deep barley-twist box stretcher terminating in boldly turned feet.

Portuguese furniture of the nineteenth century often embraced a more vigorous approach to turning than much contemporary English work, and this table is a particularly strong example of that tradition. The heavily modeled legs, dense turning, and barley-twist stretcher contribute significantly to its character.

The rosewood displays rich color and figuring throughout. The use of a single-plank top further distinguishes the table and reflects the quality of the timber selected for its construction.

The table features a scalloped circular top with a molded edge and pierced gallery supported by delicate baluster turnings above the original birdcage mechanism. The fluted baluster-form standard rises from three cabriole legs with carved knees terminating in finely executed ball-and-claw feet. The vividly figured rosewood is particularly striking throughout.

The combination of Chinese craftsmanship and English Georgian design is characteristic of Anglo-Chinese furniture produced for Western merchants and officials connected with the British East India Company. Furniture of this type was intended for use in Canton, Macao, and other trading outposts in the East.¹

Compact in scale and versatile in use, the table works equally well beside a chair, sofa, or bed.

With a spirited stance and highly unusual proportions, this example retains a richly colored top with a thumb-molded edge and re-entrant “baby’s bum” corners above three drawers with finely cockbeaded edges. Original brass hardware remains throughout above a shaped scalloped apron, all raised on particularly jaunty cabriole legs terminating in spurred hoof feet.

The animated silhouette and unusually expressive legs are uncommon in early eighteenth-century oak furniture. Compact in scale, it possesses a sense of movement and confidence rarely encountered in oak furniture of the period.

Ideal beside a chair, sofa, or bed, this lowboy serves equally well as a practical side table or as a sculptural accent within an interior. Its rich color, compact proportions, and lively stance allow it to integrate naturally into both traditional and contemporary settings.

With richly figured mahogany tops framed by satinwood edging and kingwood crossbanding, the friezes and tapering legs further embellished with tulipwood oval reserves and elongated panels, all outlined with ebony and boxwood stringing.

The graceful proportions give the pair an uncommon versatility. The contrast between the richly figured mahogany and the inlaid decoration reflects the neoclassical taste of the period.

This pair of tables is exceptionally useful, their unusual size allowing them to function equally well as console tables, lamp tables, or bedside tables. The attenuated legs and crisp linear ornament give the design an elegance characteristic of the best late George III furniture.

Composed of torch-cut and patinated steel with fused bronze and glass enamel, the circular top is raised on a dynamic tripod base. The deeply recessed surface is densely worked with clustered vertical elements of varying heights, creating an interior landscape of considerable complexity. Rich tones of blue, violet, and black emerge through the darkened surface. A fitted circular glass top rests within the perimeter of the bowl-form upper section.

The table reflects Bearden’s ability to merge sculpture and functional design. The heavily worked surface and organic asymmetry recall geological, mineral, and marine forms, while the circular top and tripod base provide a strong underlying structure.

As with much of Bearden’s work, surface and material play a central role, with layered patination and fused elements creating substantial depth and variation.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.