A Very Fine and Rare Chippendale Carved and Highly Figured Mahogany Tilt-Top Tea Table, Salem Area, Massachusetts, circa 1795

branded T·HARRIS, a late 18^{th or early 19th century wrought iron band added to standard above legs.}

secondary wood is cherry and oak; 3 ¾ by 1 ½ inch patch to stationary block at location of catch; brass catch is period and may be original and has been shifted several times; the pivot point of block has been repaired with another piece of oak; the top has several radiating cracks of which several have been filled with pieces of wood; these cracks have been stabilized underneath the top with two mahogany butterflies; the pillar has an applied wrought iron collar at the junction of the legs
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

With its brilliantly figured top, acanthus-carved urn and knees and delicate elongate talons, this tea table is an exemplary example of North Shore craftsmanship.  The acanthus carving with stippled background on the urn directly relates to an example from the collection of the late Hope Smith of Providence, Rhode Island that Israel Sack, Inc. sold.¹  Another table in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has a very similar figured rounded-edge shaped top and fluted standard.²

The brand T·HARRIS may stand for Thomas Harris of Salem, Massachusetts, who married Elizabeth Osborne in September 1781.

¹ American Antiques from The Israel Sack Collection, vol 2., (Washington, D.C.: Highland House Publishers Inc., 1969), no. 854, p. 344.
² Richard H. Randall, Jr., American Furniture in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, (Boston, MA: Museum of Fine Arts, 1965), no. 86, pp. 121-2.