A Federal Inlaid Mahogany Work Table, c.1790

a fine Hepplewhite period inlaid mahogany astragal work table; mid-Atlantic, probably Baltimore; made of a finely figured, dense mahogany; the all poplar bottom board and interior brick-work enjoy a red wash; purportedly applied for aesthetics as well as insect control, this English-influenced practice was more commonly seen on Baltimore pieces versus their Philadelphia or New York counterparts; the original period castors have the more appropriate “flush” mounted cups, well placed to maintain the proper cuff height; there is an old spline and veneer repair added to the back hinge surface of the case, as well as other minor inlay and veneer patching; a related table can be seen in Edgar Miller’s American Antique Furniture, fig. 1663 (the author frequently drew on local Baltimore collections); also see Weidman’s Maryland Furniture, 1740-1940 and Sack's American Antiques Volume II, No. 760, item 144; dimensions: 31” tall x 24 ½” wide x 14 ¼” deep

$11,000