Banquet Table
Manufacturer
Unknown
Dateca. 1815
MediumMahogany | Brass
DimensionsOverall: 28 1/2 x 54 x 148 in. (72.4 x 137.2 x 375.9 cm)
ClassificationsDecorative arts
Credit LineChrysler Museum of Art, Moses Myers House, Norfolk, Virginia. The Historic Houses are the property of the City of Norfolk and are operated by The Chrysler Museum.
Object numberM51.1.6
DescriptionLate Federal mahogany banquet table in three parts. Each section has a pedestal consisting of a large beehive turned shaft above four saber legs, each leg with a molded upper face and carved animal paw feet on casters. Table aprons appear to be white pine veneered with figured mahogany. Diagonally sawn swing brackets (two per rail) support the leaves. Leaves are not hinged to top and there is no evidence of hinges on top or rules. The leaves are all positioned by means of edge-mounted wooden pins and clipped in place with brass end clips. Note: The form of the table, the woods it is constructed from, and the heavy "beehive" shaft are all features associated with Chesapeake urban centers, notably Baltimore and Norfolk. Such tables normally have cast brass feet, and the carved paws on the Myers table are an anomaly. Their "kidney"-shaped toenails and naively veined fur suggest carving associated with the shop of Norfolk cabinetmaker James Woodward.
