Burr Walnut Gateleg Table
A burr walnut gateleg table brings figured timber and folding leaves into a room without dominating the floor space.
Burr Walnut Gateleg Table
A burr walnut gateleg table typically appears in the form of a Sutherland table, featuring a narrow fixed top with wide drop leaves supported by pivoting legs. These pieces emerge predominantly from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, spanning dates from eighteen sixty through to nineteen twenty.
Makers designed these compact drop-leaf tables for afternoon tea and occasional use in nineteenth-century drawing rooms. The selection on this page includes small oval formats, baby sizes, and afternoon tea tables suited for modern sitting rooms.
How they were made
Cabinetmakers constructed these tables using walnut and burr walnut, often applying wood inlay and marquetry across the surfaces. The figured grain of the burr timber provides the main decorative interest on the folding leaves.
Makers incorporated functional elements such as ceramic castors and brass fittings to aid movement across carpets. The folding gateleg action relies on hinged wooden supports that swing out to hold the drop leaves steady.
Burr Walnut Gateleg Table Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for burr walnut gateleg table among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
The listings span the Victorian and Edwardian periods, featuring Burr Walnut, Walnut, Ceramic, Brass, and Wood Inlay.
What varies in quality
Quality rests in the intensity and symmetry of the burr walnut figuring across the top and leaves, alongside the crispness of any inlaid wood decoration. Finer examples display balanced timber selection and delicate turning on the underframe.
Proportion marks the difference at the upper end, particularly in baby and three-quarter size formats where structural harmony matters more. The integration of the swing legs and the subtlety of the edge moulding complete the distinction.
The Burr Walnut Gateleg Table Glossary
- Burr walnut
- A veneer taken from the knotted growth of a walnut tree, prized for its swirling, highly figured grain patterns. It forms the primary visual surface on these tables.
- Sutherland table
- A narrow-bodied drop-leaf table with hinged leaves that fold down almost vertically and gatelegs that swing out to support them. It originated in the nineteenth century.
- Marquetry
- The art of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns and pictures. Craftsmen utilised this technique on the tabletops.
- Castor
- A small wheel mounted on a swivel assembly attached to the base of the legs. They frequently incorporate ceramic or brass components on these Victorian pieces.
Burr Walnut Gateleg Table: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Sutherland table?
A Sutherland table is a narrow drop-leaf table designed with folding leaves that hang almost vertically when lowered. Swinging gatelegs support the leaves when raised.
Cabinetmakers built these pieces during the Victorian and Edwardian eras for flexible use in sitting rooms and parlours.
How do you use a gateleg table daily?
You can keep the leaves dropped against the narrow central section to use the piece as a side table or lamp stand. Raising one or both leaves provides extra surface area when needed.
The folding mechanism allows the table to adapt quickly to different spaces within a room.
What is burr walnut?
Burr walnut is a timber veneer sliced from the distorted growth or burl on a walnut tree. It displays complex, swirling grain patterns that catch the light.
Cabinetmakers applied this figured wood to tabletops to create decorative visual contrast.
How do I date a Victorian walnut table?
Dating relies on stylistic details, construction methods, and materials recorded in the specific piece description. Victorian examples range from eighteen sixty through to the end of the nineteenth century.
Later Edwardian versions often incorporate canted corners and distinct inlay work.