“……….” No single word does this matched pair of inlaid, card tables justice.
A marvelous, pair of demilune card tables covered in inlay. They are decorated in matching inlay work. Each table has two gate legs that support the top when opened. The interior is a felted playing surface for games. Starting with the tops, one will see an incredible amount of highly skilled inlay work. They featured a star in the center with curved inlaid accents toward the outer edge of the top. This is then surrounded with a wide band of satinwood. All of this is on a field of striped wood. This effect is nothing short of “WOW”. The edge of the tops are banded with cherry. The bottom top edge is molded. This is commonly seen in Massachusetts but is also seen in England. The aprons are nice with a bold, thick string inlay on the striped wood field. The center portion was stained just a bit darker than the sides to give the tables even more “pop” (Like they need that). Each leg features an oval, inset inlaid medallion with the design of a conch shell. Below this, there is a graduated row of 5 bell flowers. All of this is surrounded with string inlay and rests on the striped wood field again. At the bottom of each leg is a bold cuff. The cuff has two bands of string inlay on the outside edge.
Interestingly, the two tops of the tables were originally made as one piece. All of the inlay work was inset and then the tops were cut in half. Furthermore, the backsides of the tables are made with male and female parts that allow the tables to fit together into a round table. This gives the tables three ways to function: a round table, a round pair of felted gaming tables, and two demilunes tables.
So, what is this “striped wood”. We have never seen anything this dark with this type of stripping. It wasn’t until we started to work on them that we began to suspect that these tables were even more special than appeared. Eventually, a sample was sent off to be tested (report available). Shockingly, it is tiger maple. Yes, that’s right, it is a tiger maple veneer! In our opinion, this wood was used, and stained, as a substitute to ribbon stripped mahogany. It was stained incredible dark while was still just veneer. Once it was attached to the pine legs and apron, the inlay work was done. As a result, these tables were made in an urban center in Great Britton and the cabinet maker was “trying something different”. He still used British the secondary woods of Spruce Pine and Oak. We discovered during the restoration process that he used cherry in the banded edges of the tops too. So, while tiger maple is an American wood, it does find its way on to British pieces on rare occasions….and here is one. We suspect they are from London or Edinburgh, not Ireland (mainly due to the cuffing).
The tables are a great size at 32 3/8”wide, 16” deep, and 29” tall. Obviously, they become 32” in diameter when put together. As one can see in the pictures, age has made it so the tops are not perfectly flat when fitted together but they still work just fine that way. The best picture below for color is the one when the two tables are put together but the picture is take from the side instead of straight on. They are in outstanding condition but do show blemishes appropriate for their age, use, and the level of inlay work. Circa 1790
Price: $11,950
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