VERY FINE AND RARE FEDERAL CARVED AND FIGURED MAHOGANY DEMILUNE GAMES TABLE, CARVING ATTRIBUTED TO SAMUEL MCINTIRE (1757-1811), SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1795 |

appears to retain its original surface; the proper front left leg has been partially replaced.

The proper front left leg is replaced, but there is a patch of the (seemingly) original carving that has been mounted on the new leg. There is an old repaired crack to the top at the junction with the upper hinge.
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.

The table is a new discovery in the body of work of Samuel McIntire (1757-1811). With its elaborate festoons tied together with drapery knots, the legs are clad in carvings o grape leaves and vines, while the edges of the top are carved in a stylized egg-and-dart motif and a brilliantly carved basket of flowers is placed in the visual center of the table.  Note how McIntire carved the basket in a manner to provide the average standing viewer a better perspective of the fruit retained within it. Taken together the table is ornamented in a tour de force of many of McIntire’s various carving motifs.  Lastly, the selection of mahogany for the table's top is exceptional and further accentuates the luxurious nature of the table, While the table has no early provenance, the Derby family of Salem is the most likely candidate.  The caved and applied grapevines that extend down the legs are identical to those found on the legs of the oval back Derby chairs as well as on an exceptional avant-garde demilune commode in the collection of Henry Ford Museum (see fig. 1).  Comparison of the carving strongly suggests that the pieces may have originally been made as one large suite of furniture for the Derby family. For additional information on Samuel McIntire see Dean T. Lahikainen, Samuel McIntire: Carving an American, (Salem, Massachusetts: Peabody Essex Museum; 2007).