Chinese Chippendale Tea Table

This exquisite English mahogany tea table is a stunning example of the elaborate Chinese Chippendale style. A study in symmetry and balance, this table combines the restrained elegance of the Georgian period with the intricate artistry of the Orientalist aesthetic. Elaborate fretwork on the frieze and pierced supports are beautifully matched throughout the legs. Small, decorative tables such as this represented the great influence that China had in European decorative and fine art beginning in the 1600s. To find an example in such exceptional condition is truly extraordinary.

Since the Restoration of the monarchy, there had been a growing interest in Chinese-style design forms in England. Called "chinoiserie" in French, this style had become extremely popular by the middle of the 18th century, the heyday of the Georgian style, on which designers such as Thomas Chippendale were quite willing to capitalize. By the mid-1750s, the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens were sporting "Chinese Pavilions and Boxes" and several design books, including Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director, which featured a number of Chinese designs.

A similar piece is illustrated in An Outline of Period Furniture by Katherine Morrison McClinton, p. 137.

Circa 1840

34" wide x 24" deep x 29 1/2" high