A fine 18th century George III Chippendale period mahogany 'Spider Leg' side table, attributed to ‘The Dumfries House Cabinet-Maker’.

English or Scottish, circa 1770.

With an unusually thin, rectangular solid mahogany top, above a plain frieze, on slender, collar-turned legs, joined by conforming stretchers, raised on tassel feet.

A number of closely related side tables in mahogany, attributed to ‘The Dumfries House Cabinet-Maker’, possibly Thomas Chippendale, was supplied circa 1760 to Lord Dumfries (illustrated). A related table, distinguished by a superb quality of construction, similarly constructed frieze and thin top, is at Fenton House (NT 1448858).

Thomas Chippendale supplied ‘Two neat Mahogany Spider leg Tables of good wood’ to Sir Edwin Knatchbull for Mersham-le-Hatch in 1768. A further related table at The Vyne, Hampshire was described in the 1776 inventory as a ‘spider leg’ table (see R. Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964, p. 553, figs 18 & 19).

A related table was sold Christie’s London, 9 August 2011 lot 222.

Literature:

'Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall' by Christopher Gilbert, Vol II, p. 366, no. 460