We continue to live in hope. As my devoted readers will know, part of my measurement of the health of the trade in English antiques is the demand for period dining tables. A working piece of furniture, period dining tables often have had pretty hard lives. Consequently, those that have survived in relatively good condition- original tops with nicely figured timbers all of a piece and not reshaped or repolished, original bases not badly dented and scuffed from generations of shoes kicking them- well, they cost the earth. As well they should.
And, in the last few hours, a number of good but not exceptional examples have sold at auction for plenty- and I do mean plenty. Of course, the auction purchase is at best a leap of faith for the buyer, whether dealer or collector, as one is never entirely certain of condition, and more importantly for the collector, how well it will articulate with the other pieces that will surround it and the décor into which it will ultimately be placed. No such thing as try before you buy from an auction house- all items are sold as is, where is.
Be that as it may, we are still encouraged because dining table sales wherever they occur bode well for the antiques trade, as the table is the first and most central item and the purchase of pendant items- wine coolers, cellarets, sideboards and side tables, and sets of dining chairs, soon follow. Did I mention we have a few of these items in our inventory?