Tea Table
Furniture MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1760-1790
MediumCherry, brass and iron hardware
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x diameter of top): 27 x 34 7/8in. (68.6 x 88.6cm)
Component (maximum width between two feet): 25 5/8in. (65.1cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineBequest of George Dudley Seymour
Object number1945.1.1057
DescriptionCherry tea table in the Chippendale, or rococo, style. The tea table has a round top that is not stationary, but tilts up into a vertical position. The pedestal has two square blocks at the top, separated by four turned posts, one at each corner. The pedestal consists of a cylinder over a fluted cone, a compressed ball carved with incised lines that curve up and to the right, and a cylindrical base with three cabriole legs and claw-and-ball feet. The top of each leg has a straight, incised line down the center that separates two rows of incised leaves and branches. The lower edges of the pedestal base and the underside of the legs near the base are carved with cyma curves, or S-curves, and C-curves.
Condition: There is a nine inch split in the top, beginning at the edge. There is some light staining and discoloration on the top. The finish is worn on each foot, and on one leg all the way up to the knee. One foot has an unknown white substance adhered to the side. The finish may be old or original.
Design and Construction Details: The top is constructed of three boards that are butted together. A pair of slender cleats are screwed to the underside of the top. Between each cleat is a block which is attached to the cleats with round hinge pins; the top pivots on these pins. A round brass catch holds the top in the horizontal position. The block is the top of a box, formed of two square boards that are separated by an upright, turned post at each corner. The lower block has a round opening in the center, which fits over a tenon, or pillar, at the top of the pedestal. The tenon has a small hole through which a key, or slender rectangular block, is inserted to join the box with the pedestal. This construction allows the top to rotate at the top of the pedestal. Each leg is dovetailed into the base of the pedestal. A flat iron plate with three spokes is nailed to the underside of the pedestal base and legs.
NotesCondition: There is a nine inch split in the top, beginning at the edge. There is some light staining and discoloration on the top. The finish is worn on each foot, and on one leg all the way up to the knee. One foot has an unknown white substance adhered to the side. The finish may be old or original.
Design and Construction Details: The top is constructed of three boards that are butted together. A pair of slender cleats are screwed to the underside of the top. Between each cleat is a block which is attached to the cleats with round hinge pins; the top pivots on these pins. A round brass catch holds the top in the horizontal position. The block is the top of a box, formed of two square boards that are separated by an upright, turned post at each corner. The lower block has a round opening in the center, which fits over a tenon, or pillar, at the top of the pedestal. The tenon has a small hole through which a key, or slender rectangular block, is inserted to join the box with the pedestal. This construction allows the top to rotate at the top of the pedestal. Each leg is dovetailed into the base of the pedestal. A flat iron plate with three spokes is nailed to the underside of the pedestal base and legs.
Status
Not on view
