With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in offering this remarkable dining table. This table is the finest example of an American federal banquet table produced during the 20th century which we have ever offered. We believe that the table was produced at some point a century ago during the height of the custom mahogany furniture movement for a wealthy patron living in either Boston or along the North Shore of Massachusetts. It was our great fortune to procure this dining table from a North Shore household which was furnished with some of the finest antique and custom mahogany furniture available anywhere. The estate was completely intact and was accrued throughout a century and a half with the legendary Israel Sack having been one of the antique dealers to work with the family in their pursuit of incredible antique heirlooms and furniture. Mr. Sack had the finest offerings of early American antiques available to anyone in the first half of the 20th century and his firm would employ master cabinetmakers to construct custom furniture where antique counterparts were unavailable or simply did not exist. Absent a label or any identifying markings we surmise that this table was one of the commissions which his firm would have personally overseen for the benefit of their cliental. What is beyond question is that this table is among the very finest ever produced throughout the country and in our collective decades of routinely seeking the best in American furniture we have yet to encounter another such table that can be considered its equal.
The dining table has an overall oval form and is comprised of three smaller elements including a matched pair of demilune halfmoon ends and a center dropleaf table. In the early American Federal era these banquet tables were essential for hosting large gatherings and then afterwards reducing the size of the table to gain back additional room. Many of the early American Federal era antique banquet tables are either impractical today due to size or condition issues, and therefore do not command much excitement from collectors, or the tables have ascended so high in value that they are far too costly for most collectors. We routinely see American banquet tables sell at auction in New York City for upwards of $15,000. For this reason the scarce examples of 20th century banquet tables which were custom made now command a strong premium as availability is strongly exceeded by demand. It is not uncommon to find these in homes where the center dropleaf table is used as the primary dining table and the "D" shaped ends are employed as console tables elsewhere since it is not every day that you host a large gathering of people. Because of this added utility many families inadvertency split the table elements up amongst relatives leading to fewer and fewer banquet tables remaining for future collectors.
The table is comprised entirely of a premium grade of solid mahogany with a beautiful selection of grain utilized for the tops and aprons of each table. Inlaid into the edges surrounding the entire table are ziggurat designs made with a lighter tone wood to provide a brilliant contrast to the vibrant mahogany. The same ziggurat pattern is repeated along the entire perimeter of the table apron in stunning detail. The entire table boasts 14 individual legs each of which are tapered and feature elliptical line inlay along with tapering bellflower motifs. The two "D" shaped ends can also be put together to form a smaller circular dining table if they are not being used along with the center dropleaf table or separately as console tables.
When the table is fully extended the table top measures 47 3/4” wide x 114 1/2” long (just over 9.5 feet). The demilune ends alone measure 47 3/4” wide x 23 3/4” deep. The portion with drop leaves has a 24” wide top with 21 1/2” leaves.
