Pine Table with Drawers, Central Europe, 1910

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This antique table with two drawers in pine wood carries a frieze divided into two drawers with porcelain knobs and … Read more This antique table with two drawers in pine wood carries a frieze divided into two drawers with porcelain knobs and rests on tapered legs stiffened by vertical slatted uprights. Originates from Central Europe, from the early twentieth century, where pine was joined with mortise-and-tenon work and exposed keys.The group of vertical slats beneath the frieze is a trait of Central European Jugendstil, which replaced the Historicist scroll with a light orthogonal grid. It was applied equally to fine cabinetwork and to painted domestic production such as this.The frame is pine, with two full-depth drawers on wooden bearers. The joint keys are left visible in the lower rail, reading as small dark rectangles. The top is made of jointed boards, left unpainted.The cream paint has worn at edges and corners, letting an earlier dark green layer surface and, below it, the pine. The top has lost its finish and shows staining and open joints. It is honest wear, uncorrected by any repaint.It works as a hall console, a light desk, or a side table beside a window. Its muted cream and slatted grid give a Nordic character that suits pale interiors and contemporary pieces. See less