A fine early Victorian burr walnut fold-over card table, circa 1840 to 1850, of neat square form with softly rounded corners. The top is veneered in beautifully figured burr walnut with a crisp, narrow edge, and opens on a swivelling action to double in size, revealing a circular inset of rich green baize within a broad walnut surround, a most attractive and unusual detail. The table stands on a bold turned pillar, carved with a band of lobed or gadroon decoration and a collared foot, rising from a quatrefoil platform base with four shaped lobes, each finishing in a carved scrolling foot of crisp, sculptural outline. The walnut has aged to a warm, honeyed amber brown with a soft, glowing patina from generations of waxing and polishing, and the figuring in the top is particularly lively. The top carries the gentle surface marks you would expect of a piece that has been used and enjoyed for the best part of two centuries. Closed, it sits comfortably against a wall as a console or hall table, and open it is perfectly suited to a hand of cards or a small supper for two. Solid, elegant and full of Victorian confidence, a most appealing table in good original condition.
