Description

18th Century American Chippendale Cherry Tilt-Top Tea Table

A fine and characterful example of 18th-century American craftsmanship, this elegant tilt-top tea table in warm New England cherry is a quintessential piece of colonial domestic life — graceful, practical, and beautifully made.

The generous circular top, formed from richly figured cherry boards with a wonderfully developed deep reddish-brown patina, tilts on a well-turned baluster column with ring-turned details above a boldly shaped tripod base. The three cabriole legs sweep outward with confidence, terminating in pad feet — a form that balances elegance with the sturdy practicality demanded of a working household piece.

The underside of the top reveals all the hallmarks of genuine period construction — hand-cut breadboard cleats, original cut nails, and a fine original brass snap-catch mechanism that locks the top in the horizontal position. The tripod block shows old iron reinforcement brackets at the leg joints — honest period repairs that speak to a long and well-used life.

The overall surface retains a rich, untouched patina of genuine age — the kind of depth and warmth that only 250 years of careful use and natural oxidation can produce.

Key Features:

• Circa 1760–1780, New England origin
• Primary wood: cherry
• Circular tilt-top with breadboard cleats
• Original brass snap-catch mechanism
• Ring-turned baluster column
• Tripod cabriole legs with pad feet
• Old iron leg reinforcements at block
• Exceptional original surface and patina
• Condition: good, with honest age-related wear and old repairs consistent with period use
• 33″Round x 27″H