Antique Mahogany Sheraton Flip Top Game Table, Salem or Boston, Massachusetts, Circa 1810s

Details

Description

Antique Mahogany Sheraton Flip Top Game Table, Salem or Boston, Massachusetts, Circa 1810s

A refined and distinguished example of North … Read more Antique Mahogany Sheraton Flip Top Game Table, Salem or Boston, Massachusetts, Circa 1810s

A refined and distinguished example of North Shore Massachusetts Sheraton craftsmanship, this elegant mahogany flip top game table bears all the hallmarks of the celebrated Salem cabinetmaking tradition that produced some of the finest Federal period furniture in America. Found in Essex County, Massachusetts — the very heart of Salem's furniture making region — this table almost certainly originated from the workshops of Salem or Boston, and carries with it the sophistication and precision of execution that collectors of New England Federal furniture immediately recognize and prize.
The table's form is particularly distinguished — a rectangular top with elegantly cut corners, the turned and reeded legs positioned at the angled corners in a compositional arrangement that is at once architecturally bold and visually graceful. The turned and reeded legs terminate in the characteristic Salem foot — a refined and regionally specific detail that firmly anchors this table's North Shore Massachusetts origin and will be immediately recognized by serious students of American Federal furniture. The flip top is supported by a single rear swing leg, opening to a generous 35 inch square playing surface perfectly suited for an evening of cards or conversation.
The veneered crotch grain mahogany apron is a luxurious touch, its dramatically figured wood selected with the careful eye of a craftsman who understood that every surface of a fine table deserves equal attention. The solid mahogany top completes the composition with quiet confidence. The original brass hinges survive intact — an increasingly rare and pleasing detail on a piece of this age. The cut corners originally bore bronze or brass ormolu mounted adornments, now absent though their fixing holes remain — a tantalizing reminder of the table's original splendor and an invitation to a sympathetic future restoration should the new owner desire it.
The table retains an early historic finish, likely sympathetically refinished within the last century, and presents with the honest wear and minor veneer loss to the skirt that nearly 210 years of domestic life inevitably impart.
A thoroughly distinguished piece of documented North Shore Massachusetts Federal furniture, ideal for a period interior or a serious collection of New England antiques.
Dimensions: 35"W × 17.5"D closed × 35"D open × 29.5"H
Material: Solid mahogany top; crotch grain mahogany veneered apron; turned and reeded legs with Salem foot
Details: Cut corner rectangular top, single swing leg, original brass hinges, former ormolu corner mounts
Origin: Salem or Boston, Essex County, Massachusetts, Circa 1810s
Condition: Early historic finish, likely refinished within last century; original brass hinges intact; minor veneer loss to skirt; ormolu corner mounts absent, fixing holes remain; wear consistent with age See less