The present table belonged to J. S. Sykes, an important collector of English furniture who formed part of a close circle of British and American aficionados including Eric Moller, Samuel Messer, Percival Griffiths, Geoffrey Blackwell and Lord Plender. Towering figures in the history of English furniture collecting, all of the above were advised and guided by furniture historian R. W. Symonds, whose remarkable collection and reference library now forms part of the Winterthur Museum. Numerous pieces from the J. S. Sykes collection are illustrated and discussed in Symonds' seminal book
Masterpieces of English Furniture and Clocks, 1940, in which he describes the Sykes collection as being 'outstanding'
1. A closely related carved mahogany 'pie-crust' table from the collection of Lord Plender, G. B. E., possibly by the same hand, is illustrated in the same book
2.
1 Symonds, R. W., Masterpieces of English Furniture and Clocks, London, 1940, p. VII (see pages IV, 3, 5, 11, 17, 19, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 43, 45, 59, 63, 67, 83, 85, 94, 107, 146, 156, 158, 159 for further pieces illustrated from the J. S. Sykes collection)
2 Ibid., p. 29, figs. 19 & 20.