Bay Colony Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exceptional & rare early 19th century antique Sheraton Mid-Atlantic Mahogany work table / nightstand. The stand is crafted from beautiful cuts of imported Mahogany with the best pieces reserved for the top and drawer faces. The top is made from a fantastic crotch mahogany board that grows at the crotch of the tree where two limbs split and possesses an easy to miss birds eye grain. Most people tend to only associate birds eye grain with Maple & Cherry but this mysterious visual effect can be found in a number of woods but is much more common & pronounced in Maple. We’ve heard just about every theory on what causes this swirling birds eye effect from fungal infections to pecking birds but the truth is we still don’t know for certain what causes it. Caribbean Mahogany is the best in the world with unique oil density and mineral deposits that give it it’s luster & striking grain. When Mahogany was first discovered by the Spanish in the 16th century it was solely used for ship building because of it’s durability & workability. By the Mid 18th century Caribbean Mahogany had become one of the most desirable lumbers in American & English cabinet shops.
The stand has recessed panel sides and a recessed panel back with a visually pleasing cross banded mahogany border around the drawer faces. It was not uncommon for these to start their life with wood pulls as a lot of brass hardware was imported from England. This stand was fitted with brass pulls at one point but has been converted back to wood pulls. The drawers are constructed with hand cut dovetails, hand chamfered drawer bottoms, and are each fitted with their original lock but the bottom lock is missing the tongue to throw the lock. The stand is finished in a warm amber mahogany color in great condition with our only notes being minimal surface wear and one tiny veneer chip on each drawer that we'll have our restorer address. We insist on bringing to attention any "flaw" no matter how small as our clients put a lot of faith in us as their buying agents. The stand measures 16 1/2” wide x 20” deep x 27” tall. When the leaves are locked up the top measures 28 3/8” wide x 20” deep.