Where did they place these tables?

These tables functioned primarily in reception rooms, parlours, and drawing rooms as centre tables, console tables, or card tables for evening entertainment. Smaller occasional tables and dressing mirrors found placement in private chambers and bedrooms. Their decorative surfaces were intended to catch the light and display floral and bird motifs to visiting guests. Freestanding forms sat centrally while console and side tables occupied wall spaces.

How do I care for the wood and inlay?

Keep these pieces away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent the delicate fruitwood and boxwood veneers from drying, shrinking, or lifting from the walnut or mahogany base. Maintain stable indoor humidity levels. Apply a microcrystalline wax sparingly to nourish the timber and protect the polished surface without building up heavy residues. Avoid excessive moisture during cleaning.

What is the difference between marquetry and parquetry?

Marquetry involves cutting and assembling various coloured woods to create pictorial scenes, scrolls, and detailed floral arrangements. Artisans use this method to depict naturalistic subjects across the table top. Parquetry relies on geometric shapes like squares, triangles, and diamonds to form repeating abstract patterns. This technique creates a structured, architectural surface rather than a picture.

How can I tell an eighteenth-century table from a nineteenth-century one?

Eighteenth-century examples often display Dutch Baroque or Rococo influence with organic serpentine outlines, rich walnut foundations, and naturalistic floral marquetry. Construction details and timber patination reflect the working methods of that era. Nineteenth-century pieces frequently utilise denser mahogany carcases and may show revival styles drawing inspiration from earlier periods. The precision of the saw cuts and the specific tone of the fruitwood veneers can also offer clues.

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Dutch Inlaid Table

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A dutch inlaid table brings elaborate floral marquetry and rich cabinet timbers together into centre pieces, card tables and side tables spanning several centuries.