Early 19th Century Mahogany Banqueting Table

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Early 19th Century Mahogany Banqueting Table

About the Item

Ascribed to Gillows of Lancaster. A fine extending mahogany early 19th century banqueting table with original leaves on turned supports retaining original shoes and castors. The configuration of the table allows it to seat from six to fourteen persons. Provenance: Robert Gillow (2 August, 1704–1772) was an English furniture manufacturer. He founded the luxury furniture and furnishings firm Gillow of Lancashire in 1730. During the 1730s he began to exploit the lucrative West Indies trade exporting mahogany furniture and importing rum and sugar, in addition to fitting out ships cabins and doing finishing work in construction. The firm rapidly established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture and furnishings to the richest families in the country. They also had a London workshop in Thames Street. In 1764 a permanent London branch of Gillow's was established at 176 Oxford Road, now Oxford Street, by Robert's son, Thomas Robert Gillow (1745–1793), and William Taylor. Following Robert's retirement in 1769, the business was continued by his two sons, Richard (1734–1811) and Thomas Robert (his other children were Alice, Edward and John). Richard Gillow was an architect of some note, and he is credited with originating the telescopic dining-table and the first English billiard-table. For over a century, the firm was known for its luxury furniture and furnishings. During the final years of the 19th century the company ran into financial difficulty and from 1897 began a loose financial arrangement with Waring of Liverpool, an arrangement legally ratified by the establishment of Waring & Gillow in 1903. The price of dining tables, Richard Gillow wrote in 1786, depended on the quality of wood, more than any other furniture - as these may be made of inferior kind of mahogany with slip hinges bolts, brass fasteners £1.00 5ft. long, but if made of fine hard mahogany they would come to about 12 guineas'.' Again in 1788 Gillows wrote similar comments about the importance of dining tables made in the 'completest manner' of fine hard mahogany', as opposed to those made of inferior soft mahogany or baywood (Honduras mahogany).' Gillows stressed the importance of using well-seasoned wood, particularly for dining table tops in order to prevent them warping. Their timber, they wrote, stands well as the tops are fine old mahogany that have been sawn up nearly five years ago will improve in use. Most 18th century dining tables were designed as sets of smaller tables, some of which could be placed against the wall, or a pier between the windows, when not in use, and reassembled to suit the number of people dining. In modest houses without a card or drawing room they were also reassembled after dining by servants for different purposes, such as card playing. In 1796 Gillows advised customers on the size of the table in relationship to the dining room. All dining tables should be 7 feet shorter than the room they are for to leave room at each end for a chair and a servant to pass. The length of a table depended, of course, on the number of people expected to dine, and Gillows’ customers sought advice on the amount of space to allow per guest. In the 19th century Gillows & Co calculated 24in should be allowed per person but added 22 inches is frequent made to do but rather crowded, but 21in they thought insufficient. The width of the table was also carefully calculated to allow for factors such as space for dishes, candelabra and leg room. Naturally, the advice given depended on several factors, but Gillows did not approve of narrow dining tables nor apparently, what would be regarded today as standard measurements. RR.

Dimensions:
Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 122 in (309.88 cm)Depth: 60 in (152.4 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Mahogany
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1815
Condition:
Seller Location:
Peterborough, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 2311stDibs: LU103281124264