Bay Colony Antiques is pleased to offer for sale this wonderful 19th century antique Sheraton Mahogany drop leaf table. Our pictures came out a little dark but this table is crafted from an exceptional grade of imported Caribbean Mahogany. Caribbean Mahogany is the best in the world with unique mineral deposits & oil density that give it it’s bold dark grain and signature sheen. The quality of the Mahogany lets us know this was made in or near a major port city as the wood was expensive and rarely made it to inland cabinet shops. The price of Mahogany was second to only a few species of Rosewood and still commands a high price today. If we were to have this table commissioned today we would probably be well over our asking price for just the wood if we could even find Mahogany of similar quality. Caribbean Mahogany was so popular that it was harvested to near extinction levels and the few remaining forests are thankfully protected. Modern “Mahogany” furniture is one of the leading causes of illegal deforestation and while the wood is technically in the Mahogany family; they are two vastly different species.
The table has an incised carving along the edge and has rounded corners on the leaves. We note a few repairs to the rule joint that are easy to glance over and the caster wheels have been replaced with modern polished brass ones. Alongside the exceptional cuts of Mahogany, the table has very finely formed rope carved legs with a dramatic flared ankle. Rope carved legs were popular in port cities with families who made their fortune at sea whether in the physical sense or through trade. The table retains it’s original embossed floral brass pull and the drawer still has all the original glue blocks and chamfered panels present. The drawer has pine secondary wood and all the hand cut dovetails are still intact. This is undoubtedly a Massachusetts table and we strongly believe this was made in Salem / North Shore of Massachusetts. Salem MA was one of America’s most celebrated cabinet making hubs and we’d encourage any of our clients to take a day to see the Peabody Essex and surrounding house museums. When closed the table measures 19 1/4” wide x 42” long x 28 1/2” tall. When the leaves are locked up the top measures 44 1/2” wide x 42” long.