American Queen Anne Birdcage Tea Table, Connecticut

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American Queen Anne Birdcage Tea Table, Connecticut

About the Item

This is a fine American Queen Anne Antique Tea Table crafted during the last quarter of the 18th Century. Of wonderful form and proportions, this very attractive piece is pure and relatively undisturbed, the finish being the only change over the last two centuries. Characterized by simplicity and a compression of lines, the design carefully balances the visual weight of the spherical top and oversized birdcage by squeezing the baluster as close to the legs as possible, perfectly dividing the mass of the table away from the midriff. The top is a work of art, crafted of two solid Cherry boards joined nearly seamlessly, it was lathe-turned patiently and with great risk to the craftsman to produce a raised molded edge of the solid. The cleats are affixed to the underside of the top with symmetrically spaced original and undisturbed screws, these flanking the birdcage box structure that allows the top to spin freely. The birdcage is crafted with complex and possibly unusual construction, four baluster turned pedestals joined into the square (unidentified, possibly pine) softwood top and through the cherry bottom, the latter tenons wedged with splints for a pressured joint. Four iron bars penetrate at an angle down through the top and are twisted under the bottom, giving incredible strength and permanence to this delicate structure. An original clasp on the underside of the top still perfectly grasps the latch on the birdcage, both undisturbed with original screws still securing each (one later screw added to the clasp due to a loss at one corner). The solid cherry pedestal joins through the birdcage, tapering as it penetrates the structure and is secured in a hollow in the top of the structure, joined with a wedged tenon that can be easily removed to lift the top from the pedestal. The pillar brings the entire form of this table together without flaw, the soft tapering form broken by sharp ring turnings over the nearly spherical baluster. The legs join into the base with large dovetails, their butt ends covered by a triform iron plate rosehead nailed into the legs and pedestal. The thin legs are plain with an angular interior cut and a fine cabriole outer form, terminating in elongated pad feet. These are similar to a tea table attributed to Hartford, Connecticut in American Furniture of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Heckscher, 1985 fig. 128), likewise nearly identical to a square-top table at Sturbridge bearing the stamp of a Hartford cabinetmaker Samuel Kneeland (1755-1828) noted in Connecticut Furniture, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (Kirk, 1967 fig. 170). Measurements: 24 1/2" W (perpendicular to grain) x 24 7/8" D (parallel to grain); 27 5/8" H rested (in table position); 41 3/4" H tilted Condition: Refinished, though finish is nice and dry, well patinated and probably mid-to-late 19th Century with some later waxing. Originally, it may have had a painted surface, with light traces of a white or blue paint in some recessed grain in the table top and pedestal. Lip of the table is cracked and poorly repaired with glue, leaving a tiny gap around rim. Feet show wear, one foot with a metal pad beneath it, all fully original. All hardware original, screws and cleats undisturbed and original, clasp on tilt top and latch on birdcage both are original and undisturbed, though a later screw is driven through the clasp due to loss of one screw hole. Minor dings and abrasions, more notably to the table top with little chips and scratches, though likewise to the feet, legs and pillar (non-noteworthy). We have many additional images available upon request.

Dimensions:
Height: 27.63 in (70.19 cm)Diameter: 24.88 in (63.2 cm)
Style:
Queen Anne (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Cherry
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Late 18th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
Shippensburg, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 130002YRW191stDibs: LU105901243632