Kingwood Tier Table
These kingwood tier table pieces combine exotic timbers and delicate mounts, bringing refined French taste and tiered display space into a room.
Kingwood Tier Table
A kingwood tier table is a multi-level surface constructed primarily from dense, figured violet-brown timber, frequently arranged in marquetry patterns. Buyers searching for a kingwood tier table will encounter various forms, most commonly two-tier etagères and occasional tables originating from the nineteenth century.
Makers often shaped these pieces with serpentine or kidney outlines, mounted in gilt bronze or ormolu, drawing heavily on French Louis XV and Louis XVI revivals. The surviving examples span the Victorian and Edwardian eras, reflecting both French cabinet-making traditions and British adaptations.
How they were made
Cabinet-makers constructed these tables using solid carcases faced with fine veneers of kingwood, rosewood, and satinwood, frequently detailing the surfaces with intricate floral marquetry. Artisans then applied cast brass and ormolu mounts to protect and accentuate the curves of the legs, rims, and aprons.
Many surfaces incorporated marble tops or glass trays set within shaped wooden galleries. The tiered structure relied on slender uprights or brass columns to support the upper levels without adding excessive weight to the piece.
Several tables include built-in glass trays on their top tiers, seemingly designed to catch accidental spills from enthusiastic nineteenth-century tea drinkers.
What varies in quality
The sophistication of the timber selection and the precision of the marquetry dictate the upper tier of quality. Tables displaying complex floral patterns cut from contrasting woods stand apart from simpler veneered surfaces.
The weight, crispness, and hand-chasing of the ormolu mounts further separate standard production from exhibition pieces. Finer workshops ensured that every bronze mount fitted the contours of the kingwood carcass precisely.
Collingson & Lock·Francois Linke
The Kingwood Tier Table Glossary
- Kingwood
- A dense, heavy timber featuring dark violet and brown tones with striking grain patterns. Cabinet-makers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries prized it for high-status veneering.
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze used for decorative mounts and edgings on furniture. The best examples feature sharp hand-chiselling after casting.
- Etagere
- A set of open shelves or tiers used for displaying small objects or lamps. They became particularly popular in nineteenth-century French revival interiors.
- Marquetry
- The art of forming decorative patterns using thin veneers of various coloured woods. Craftsmen cut the pieces together to create seamless pictorial designs.
- Parquetry
- A geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for floor surfaces or furniture tops. It creates an orderly contrast to organic floral marquetry.
Kingwood Tier Table: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clean a kingwood table?
Dust gently with a dry, soft cloth and avoid applying modern aerosol polishes that can build up on the veneer. Wax should be used sparingly, only when the timber appears dry.
Keep these tables away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent the kingwood veneer and delicate marquetry from drying and lifting.
Can I use a tier table for a lamp?
The upper surfaces easily accommodate small reading lamps, table lights, or decorative porcelain items. The lower tiers provide additional space for books or small decorative objects.
Ensure that any lamp placed on the upper shelf is lightweight and stable, as these occasional tables are designed for lighter duties rather than heavy items.
How do I tell an 1880 table from a 1900 one?
Tables from around 1880 often display heavier Victorian proportions and robust ormolu mounts influenced by high-Victorian taste. Pieces dated closer to 1900 frequently exhibit lighter Edwardian lines and more literal interpretations of Louis XV furniture.
Construction methods inside the drawers and beneath the tiers also shift subtly over these decades, moving from traditional hand-cut joints towards more standardised workshop practices.