Card Table

Unknown

1740–60 · Mahogany, maple, white pine · The American Wing

The form of this table is most unusual. The table top is in two pieces: one a drop leaf, the other lifting up to provide access to a storage well, presumably for storing card-playing accoutrements. While it is possible for the entire top to be vertical, the lack of any device to support the upper half in an upright position shows that the table was not intended to be stored in a corner. The table is unquestionably from Rhode Island, not only because of its Newport provenance, but also because of its unmistakable Newport features, especially the use of dense, purple-hued mahogany and maple as a secondary wood.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1740–60

Medium

Mahogany, maple, white pine

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Mary B. Coggeshall, 1973