American Empire Classical Marble Top Pier Table

Circa 1835 -1840. 

Although strongly influenced by Philadelphia craftsmen of this period, this fabulous piece may have been executed outside of Philadelphia, possibly in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Exceptional carving with gilt and ebonized features. Initials, that appear to read as CD appear in old script, in pencil, on the back of one of the lower carved supports. It is interesting to compare features and style of this pier table to the well known Quervelle label featuring a dressing table with curved dolphin mirror supports. See an example of this label in Philadelphia Empire Furniture, William Boor, 2006, page 69. 

On an academic note, pollen analysis, a precise indicator of where a piece was made or has travelled was conducted on the pier table by Fred Wiseman in September, 1992, and revealed ‘samples characterized by a generalized pollen flora indicating they come from areas primarily agricultural or otherwise disturbed...contains corn and wheat (wheat, rye, oats, etc.) pollen direct indicators of nearby agriculture at one point in its history. Tree pollen in samples is indicated by the presence of riverine pollen types of willow and cottonwood, upland forest is indicated by oak, maple and white pine. Sample is interesting because most of the pine is the red pine group, that usually indicates an origin south of Philadelphia, where the coastal plain pine forests of loblolly pine and other red pines begin. There is no bald-cypress or bayberry pollen, so a tidewater south origin is improbable. Additionally, there was an absence of pollen from plants such as wormwood, heath, heather, gorse, a distinctive European birch, a northern European plant called dryas and other distinctly European species indicating the piece was neither of European origin or had a European presence at any time.’ 

Three wood samples from the pier table were analyzed and identified as red pine, cottonwood and spruce ( by analysis, Donna Christianson, US Forest Products Laboratory, March, 1987). 

As with all of our furniture, in ‘as found’ condition. 
Very nice overall condition.
Measures 75” H, 46” W at center.