A George III Mahogany Tripod Table
£3,900
SOLD
A George III mahogany tripod table, the rectangular top with ribbon and flower carved border and set upon a turned stem with birdcage action, supported on generously carved tripod feet.
This table is made from mahogany, perhaps the wood most closely associated with English antique furniture. It is hard for us today to imagine just how highly prized a material it was when it first appeared in Europe in the mid-eighteenth century. Mahogany grows in Central America and the West Indies and British trading and colonial links with this region gave the United Kingdom direct access to this finely figured timber.
The man most closely associated with mahogany in English furniture history is Thomas Chippendale whose pattern book, ‘The Gentlemen and cabinet maker’s director’ published in 1754, details elaborate designs for pieces to be executed in this fashionable timber. This tripod table with its finely turned stem and carved border relates closely to the designs of Thomas Chippendale. It is one of the best known forms from this period.
In addition to its beauty, this tripod table is also very functional – the tilt top allows it to be folded up for storage in the corner of a room when not in use. As a consequence it is just as useful now as it was in the eighteenth century.
