Jameson’s Blog

dining tables are amongst the most sought after antiques. That should be no surprise, after all, most people need data recovery dining table. I will be dealing with formal dining tables, there will be a future articles on country farmhouse tables. The most expensive design of dining tables are those dating from the 1760s through to the early 1800s, which sit on rows of pillars. There are normally between two and four pillars in length. The pillars support additional leaves in the table, the more pillars the longer the length and desirability of the table. An example would be an twin pillar 1790s table. This would have a fixed leaf on each pedestal and with the support of lopers and clips could take an additional drop in leaf. The maximum length of a table like this would be approx 8 feet in length. I had an Georgian table of this type last year and sold it immediately.

The quality of timber at this period is generally very good. With the addition of more pillars these type of tables, can Big Jim upto 20 feet in length. The dining tables more commonly seen today are extending dining tables, normally in mahogany. The earlier Georgian and Victorian dining tables had pull-out mechanisms. These are rela00000A29tively simple, were the extends by pulling either end to allow more leaves to be used. Later Victorian dining tables had wind out mechanisms, which allowed Victorian dining tables to be opened, by the use of a winding handle. I have recently purchased a Georgian mahogany dining table, with pull-out mechanism. The table is a good length at 112 inches long and has the benefit of retaining its original leaves. The quality of the table is superb and totally original throughout. It dates from 1820.

Realistic prices for mahogany dining tables vary greatly. Key points in pricing are: originality, length, width, period, timber quality and colour. As a general rule the earlier the dining table, the better the timber is likely to be. Tables that still have all their original leaves are rare and much more valuable, than those with with replacement leaves. The width of the table is important, where people are sitting opposite each other, there should be adequate room in the centre of the table. Look for tables 48 inches or more in depth. A dining table that is 42 inches deep would be worth less than half that of an identical table that was 48 inches deep. The length is also important, with tables that sit 10 or more people very sought after. Rough price guide: Georgian pillar tables - £7,500 - £100,000 plus depending on the number of pillars/leaves and originality of table. Georgian pull-out tables - £5,000- £50,000 depending on length and condition Victorian pull-out and wind out tables - £3000-£20,000 again depending on length and condition. With all the price examples above, please be aware that exceptional timber, detailing, or provenance, can make any piece of furniture, worth dramatically more. This is a big subject that I will return to in a later article, but for an overview of the subject it may provide the prospective purchaser with some guidance.

Many thanks, Mark Davis
Apollo Antiques Limited, Devon

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 9:45 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.