Object Description
This is a fabulous large antique William IV oval ended flame mahogany extending dining table with a stunning set of twelve William IV dining chairs, all circa 1830 in date.
The table has four original leaves, can comfortably seat twelve and has been hand-crafted from flame mahogany which has a beautiful grain and colour. The leaves can be added or removed as required to suit the occasion by a special winding mechanism.
The table is raised on stunning five turned and fluted tapering legs that terminate in brass and porcelain cap castors which give the table it’s great stability and make it easy to move.
The beautiful and matching set of twelve William IV flame mahogany dining chairs also date from Circa 1830.
The set comprising two open armchairs and ten single chairs, each with leaf carved top rail and cross section above upholstered over stuffed buttoned seats and raised on fluted tapering legs. The seats have been reupholstered in a beautiful and sumptuous Moore and Giles tan leather,
This stunning set will stand out in your dining or conference room and will definitely become a key piece in your furnishing collection.
Condition:
In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed and the chairs reupholstered in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation..
Dimensions in cm:
Height 75.5 x Width 392 x Depth 146 – Fully Extended
Height 75.5 x Width 169 x Depth 146 – With all leaves removed
Height 93 x Width 59 x Depth 54 – Armchairs
Height 93 x Width 45 x Depth 45 – Side chairs
Height 48 – Seat height
Dimensions in inches:
Height 2 foot, 6 inches x Width 12 foot, 10 inches x Depth 4 foot, 9 inches – Fully Extended
Height 2 foot, 6 inches x Width 5 foot, 6 inches x Depth 4 foot, 9 inches – With all leaves removed
Height 3 feet, 1 inch x Width 1 foot, 11 inches x Depth 1 foot, 9 inches – Armchairs
Height 3 feet, 1 inch x Width 1 foot, 6 inches x Depth 1 foot, 6 inches – Side chairs
Height 1 foot, 7 inches – Seat height
William IV – the brief reign of William IV (1830 – 1837) marked a period of transition between the Regency period (which had been an age of innovation based on revivalist styles such as ancient Egypt, and the Grecian designs) and the Victorian era.
William IV furniture is similar in style to Regency furniture with many of the designs from the Regency period being copied but often executed in a much heavier manner with chairs, tables and other items being coarser and clumsier in appearance when compared with those made during the Regency period.
Popular pieces produced during this period include tilt top dining tables and pillared extendable tables. Sofa tables and drum tables were also favoured at the time as were sideboards and card tables. Heavy brass fittings were a prominent feature such as lion’s paw feet on tables. Chairs frequently sported sabre legs to the back with stumpy bulbous turned legs to the front. The rope twist carved back was also much in favour.
This period also saw the introduction of the more exotic timbers such as zebra wood. With the Industrial Revolution getting under way furniture making saw the increased use of mechanisation a trend set to accelerate during the Victorian period.
This short, but important transitional period eventually gave way to the romanticism of the Victorians but the furniture it produced was usually of good quality and it remains sought after and desirable today.
Flame Mahogany
Thomas Sheraton – 18th century furniture designer, once characterized mahogany as “best suited to furniture where strength is demanded as well as a wood that works up easily, has a beautiful figure and polishes so well that it is an ornament to any room in which it may be placed.” Matching his words to his work, Sheraton designed much mahogany furniture. The qualities that impressed Sheraton are particularly evident in a distinctive pattern of wood called “flame mahogany.”
The flame figure in the wood is revealed by slicing through the face of the branch at the point where it joins another element of the tree.
Winding Mechanism for extending tables
A man by the name of Samuel Hawkins applied for a patent on a screw expander on June 6th, 1861. Presumably, Mr. Hawkins either died or retired because his business was taken over by a young machinist named Joseph Fitter in 1864.
Joseph Fitter operated a machinist shop where he produced winding mechanisms for extending tables as well as screw expanders for piano stools and other applications at 210 Cheapside, Birmingham England by the name of Britannia Works.
Our reference: A2819b