Worth a much as an apartment | Shockingly rare 300 year-old-table re-discovered

[00:00:00]Charlie, hang on a minute. Is that the table that I've been reading about?

[00:00:04]>> Yeah. Well, I mentioned it to you. We can I tell you what, let me get the paperwork. David, >> you do that and let's just have a >> feast your eyes view.

[00:00:14]>> You got a nice Chesterfield to sit on there, too, David.

[00:00:16]>> This is a very important table.

[00:00:18]>> So, go on, you sit down and and tell us all about it.

[00:00:21]>> Yeah. So, this turned up overseas about a year ago, >> maybe even 14 months ago.

[00:00:27]>> You bought it overseas?

[00:00:28]>> I bought it overseas.

[00:00:29]>> Okay. I I was sent it by by Cindy Luckett who who finds things for me over over in stateside and I looked at it and I thought that's either the best 19th century table on the planet.

[00:00:43]>> Yeah.

[00:00:43]>> Or it's 18th century.

[00:00:45]>> Was it described as a 19th century table?

[00:00:47]>> Well, it was it wasn't really described as anything because I think it it's got an interesting history this table. M I bought it and I've been I was so excited about getting it. So it arrived 7 months later. In [snorts] between times, Christopher Cole, who's our researchist, who's just the most lovely, as well as being a lovely man, it's a brilliant researchist, did a lot of work on it and said, "Charlie, you've got an absolute historical piece of furniture here."

[00:01:18]Um and he did a lot of work which had never previously been done because this table turned up in 2010 I think at Bonhams and Butterfields as 18th century and then there was a a sale room notice saying this table might be 19th century. So there was a question mark over it.

[00:01:37]>> So Christopher said to me he said I'm going to do a lot of work on this and he came up with this quite quickly. Now, this is un unseen and it will go live on the website when you go out. In 1928, we found out that Sutherbe sold this table as period and it made £100 and was sold to Oh gosh. Glasses >> £100 in 1928. Yeah.

[00:02:06]>> How much would that be in today's terms?

[00:02:08]>> I did look it up because I knew you'd ask me that question. You're always about the money. Um £8,53355p I >> Okay. A lot of money.

[00:02:17]>> A lot of money. Um an average house in those days is about £340.

[00:02:22]>> Ah hang on a minute. So >> put it into context.

[00:02:25]>> About a third of the price of an average home.

[00:02:29]>> Yeah.

[00:02:29]>> Wow.

[00:02:30]>> Yeah.

[00:02:30]>> Okay. So it was bought by the dealers we believe of Mount Street Cameron in let's get this side 16th 17th of February 1928 lot 215 this is no one knew about this at all so we were done our work >> it then went to Moss Harris who Moss Harrison and Sons just the best dealers that >> so they then featured it in the first Telegraph Olympia antiques fair as their centerpiece on their stand. I have a photograph here.

[00:03:11]>> Have a look at this.

[00:03:14]>> It's quite a long story this everyone.

[00:03:16]So, please bear with me.

[00:03:18]>> Yeah, but it's important Charlie, isn't it? This is an important table.

[00:03:20]>> When there's been a question mark over something, you have to do the work. Here it is. This is their centerpiece. That is the table.

[00:03:29]And this was at the antiques fair.

[00:03:31]>> First antiques fair considered to be the antiques fair. 1928 telegraph Olympia.

[00:03:37]>> So this will be soon after it was purchased at auction. It's >> the same year.

[00:03:42]>> Okay.

[00:03:43]>> 1928.

[00:03:43]>> Okay. I would I would know how much it was on the stand.

[00:03:46]>> It was also featured in the Connoisseur.

[00:03:51]And there's the artic. Uh >> so is this the the collector's magazine?

[00:03:55]>> Yeah.

[00:03:56]>> Gosh. Now there is Moss Harris again. That's their catalog. And here it is here. That's the country life ad for it. [laughter] >> So >> what research problems I was getting really excited. We were getting awfully excited.

[00:04:12]>> Awfully awfully. Then we located >> I just hope he's going to give us a price for this.

[00:04:16]>> No. No. Stop it. Stop it for one stop.

[00:04:19]>> He will. I'm sure.

[00:04:20]>> Then Mallet of Bond Street.

[00:04:23]>> Yeah. Had it in 1967.

[00:04:27]Oh, that is it.

[00:04:28]>> 18th century. So they obviously in those days everything got rebuilded. This is when it would have been reilded.

[00:04:36]>> Okay, got you.

[00:04:38]>> Now it arrives back in the UK. I get very excited about it and I got a couple of really knowledgeable, seriously academically knowledgeable people to look at this and they had a query over it and the query was 1740 Kentian table. They >> can can you explain what Kentian >> Yeah. William Kent was a great designer.

[00:05:02]Yeah.

[00:05:03]>> At the time.

[00:05:05]>> Um >> English designer.

[00:05:06]>> Yes. Now we then carried on with more work and we came up with this because the query was at that time they did not make sense tables they made side tables.

[00:05:19]>> Okay let's just explain that. So this is indeed a table made for the middle of a room.

[00:05:24]>> Correct.

[00:05:24]>> To walk around it.

[00:05:25]>> Yeah.

[00:05:26]>> But when we believe it was originally made it was made effectively with a flat back.

[00:05:32]>> Correct.

[00:05:32]>> To sit against a wall. Now, >> so this is the confusion because they know that center tables were not made in the 1740s.

[00:05:41]>> Correct.

[00:05:41]>> But this is a table that seems to be made in the 1740s. Yes.

[00:05:44]>> And it's a center table. So, how do you explain that?

[00:05:47]>> Well, I want to find you one picture here, David, which I think is really very telling. The Rox table here, let me get off my bottom for you.

[00:05:59]Here is the Rox table on later pads. Same foot, identical foot, almost the identical leg.

[00:06:08]>> What is the Roxra table?

[00:06:09]>> It was a side table made for Rox Duchess of Rox >> in the 1740s. Correct.

[00:06:15]>> Yeah. William Kentense do.

[00:06:17]>> Got you. Yeah. Okay.

[00:06:18]>> So, >> I believe it it looks like it's come from the same table. Yeah. So I got a friend of mine who who did masterpiece all the years who's particularly good at 18th century furniture to come and look at it.

[00:06:33]>> Yeah.

[00:06:34]>> Spent two hours looking it and he said, "Charlie, I believe this is what's happened to this table cuz I've had a similar one over the years."

[00:06:40]>> Okay.

[00:06:41]>> In the 1820s, it became very fashionable to have center tables.

[00:06:46]>> Yes.

[00:06:47]>> So they've taken a really important side table, >> right?

[00:06:52]brought it away from the wall and carved this piece. This here we believe is copied in the 1820s probably by a gentleman called Crib because that's what he did.

[00:07:01]>> Gosh >> to copy and he took we took the marble off that did my backing [clears throat] >> and he explained to me that the carving what we call the back carving here and this is just slightly different.

[00:07:15]>> Yeah.

[00:07:15]>> To the front and the sides.

[00:07:17]>> Okay. which would explain. Also, this is an early piece early 19th century piece of marble >> which we believe would have been put on the table when this was done.

[00:07:26]>> Oh, Charles.

[00:07:27]>> So, what we have is story, isn't it?

[00:07:29]>> We we have 1740 table adapted in the >> 1820s. Yes.

[00:07:35]>> To become a center table, >> which which was not unusual. They would send pieces back to the workshops to be improved in their own language to be made fashionable. Correct. So it was obviously terribly highly regarded >> when it was 80 years old. It was a very important table then >> to invest such money. Yes.

[00:07:56]>> And skill and talent to create >> a a a new fashionable table.

[00:08:01]>> Wow.

[00:08:01]>> But I think what's really worth noting that it's been through two >> well it made a lot of money at SE in 28 so everyone thought it was 100% correct then.

[00:08:11]>> Yeah. Moss Harris who has that family has the best reputation. They obviously believed in it.

[00:08:16]>> Yeah.

[00:08:17]>> Mallet obviously believed in it.

[00:08:20]>> Yeah.

[00:08:20]>> And I believe in it but it's had this alteration.

[00:08:23]>> Yes.

[00:08:24]>> And I think for me having the pictures of Mallet owning it, Moss Harris family owning and this the Rox table is just >> Yeah. Can you just talk to me about the decoration in fact?

[00:08:38]>> So it is very 1740s in in its style, isn't it? Yes.

[00:08:42]>> I find it fascinating the the the feet down here, Charlie, with the faces.

[00:08:46]>> Do you often with silver tables, those queen and silver tables, >> they used to use this feature, but they always put it on the knee here up here.

[00:08:55]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:08:55]>> And this and that motif here of the Indian.

[00:09:00]>> Is that Native Indian? Yeah. Native American Indian.

[00:09:02]>> Yeah. [snorts] >> And actually, it's not North American, it's South American.

[00:09:06]>> Oh, yes. See the profile there? It's much more South American, isn't it? And that ties in beautifully with the Roxra table again. Right now I could try David. I'm not I'll see if I can slide this over a little bit for you.

[00:09:21]Oh, you see you >> look at that joy.

[00:09:26]Look.

[00:09:27]>> So when Mallet obviously stripped it, they dry what we call dry stripped it.

[00:09:30]Yes.

[00:09:31]>> And left a lot of this. But when I was talking about the back carving which is in here.

[00:09:35]>> Yeah.

[00:09:36]My friend Edward said the back carving on that end is just slightly different.

[00:09:41]>> Okay. Yeah.

[00:09:42]>> All makes sense, doesn't it?

[00:09:44]>> Yeah. And hence this marble is a bit different. Okay.

[00:09:47]>> It's not 1740. It's 1820.

[00:09:50]>> Yeah.

[00:09:51]>> Great bit of marble.

[00:09:52]>> Right. Okay. This is going to Learda.

[00:09:54]>> No. No. It doesn't fit in with all the maritime and the interesting things.

[00:09:58]>> Okay. But this must be one of one of your most important pieces.

[00:10:02]>> I think so. and >> and a long time in in in the making because you bought it what year and a half ago.

[00:10:09]>> Year and a half ago. Yeah.

[00:10:10]>> So, it's taken all this time to get the to get its history to get its provenence.

[00:10:16]>> Well, to to to understand it because >> it had that catalog description maybe 19th century and so we had to prove >> Yeah.

[00:10:24]>> that it isn't >> right.

[00:10:26]>> And which I think we want more than enough documentation to prove exactly what it is.

[00:10:30]>> Okay. More information on your website.

[00:10:32]It will go on the website when you go live and I'm going to do a blog on Kentian furniture.

[00:10:37]>> Right. Okay.

[00:10:38]>> Because I have several other pieces 19th century.

[00:10:42]>> Yeah.

[00:10:42]>> But in the Kentian style.

[00:10:44]>> Okay. Can I push you on the value?

[00:10:48]>> So we're going to ask £120,000 for it.

[00:10:50]>> Right. which is very interesting because the average cost of a house in the country is 300 250 300 and in 20 1928 it was sold for the a third of the average house price.

[00:11:05]>> Yeah.

[00:11:05]>> In the UK it's not a million miles away.

[00:11:08]>> So as an investment it's proven to be pretty good.

[00:11:10]>> Yeah absolutely. But I what's been really exciting here and I thank Christopher very much for this is without finding these bits from Moss Harris Ses and Mallet we wouldn't have had you'd be you'd be apologizing the whole time. Yeah. Saying well we believe it's period but whereas now and with Edward helping I'm 100% confident we are now correct.

[00:11:36]>> Fantastic. It just goes to show the lengths you go when when you find these important museum quality pieces. That's what they are.

[00:11:45]>> Yeah. I mean, someone said, "Well, why don't you turn it back into a side table?" But actually, a center table >> and then I got to mess about with and I don't want to do that. It is what it is.

[00:11:53]>> It's it's lived longer as a center table than it ever did as a side table and it's part of it. It's like an old period country house.

[00:12:01]>> Yeah. It's like one of your old suits altered.

[00:12:04]>> There you go. Yeah. Exactly. [laughter]