Featured Please help me learn about this table ...

Hello. I recently acquired this table. I know little to nothing about antiques. I believe it is walnut or mahogany, with a marble top. There are two imprints or markings:

1. "5 B" is imprinted on the top rail of the table, just under the marble; and
2. "N 3 H B" is marked on the bottom side of the marble.

It may be from the 1800's, was passed down through the family and may also have come to the U.S.A. by ship with family during the same time frame. Any information about the table, including a best estimate of worth, is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for your help!

 

Victorian Parlour table - and a lovely one at that! Someone will be along to give you more details

 

Nice! As Mansons said, a Victorian parlor/parlour table. Ca. 1875-1880 or so, executed in the Renaissance Revival style. Looks to have its original castors. No reason to supposed that it came by ship to America; it was probably made in the U.S. in the "old" midwest, i.e. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, or Illinois. The numbers are likely internal reference numbers for the company/companies who made it. I say companies because the marble and the undercarriage likely came from different sources.

Value depends on where you are, plus this site isn't real big on valuation. Since the antique market tanked, in my area of the U.S. midwest this might go for $250-$300, but hard to say since you didn't include the dimensions.

 

Welcome!

 

Thank you. The dimensions, approximate, are 35" L x 25" W, and 28.5" Height.

 

Love it! Here in the netherlands we would call similar tables a "spinnekoptafel", a spider head table. These were from around 1880. I kind of inherited one recently, but it is not in my possession yet...

 

Yep, agree with others, victorian table, last quarter 19th century and appears in very good condition. The problem value wise is, antique "brown" furniture with a few exceptions is down in price these days, I'd guess 200-300 on east coast USA. at auction.

 

James,
Thank you. I also have a second, somewhat similar table, round also with marble top. I'll post that one later after I clean the dust off, but can you possibly tell me what the imprints on this table mean, specifically? I would assume grade or quality, but really don't know, I am guessing.
Tom

 

Hey Tom:

As I mentioned above, I feel that the numbers are probably specific to the manufacturer, such as inventory or design numbers, and do not have any specific meaning to you and me. I suppose "HB" could be the initials of an employee who was part of the table's construction process.

 

Ok, thanks. On a side note, my last name is Hopper, lol.

 

Correct, this table was made with machines and very common to mark pieces with design/model numbers so manufacturer could track them in assembly area.

 

Here in Des Moines area you might get $200 for it. Walnut just doesn't do it these days. I was in Kansas City last weekend and there were two identical tables, very similar to this one, and they wanted $350 each for them, but ending up selling them for $175 each.

 

Hi,
Here in Jersey I remember selling these tables for 300 to 500 in the 1980s. I saw one last year in a store marked 75 and a few months later it was still there.
greg

 

That's what I'm talking about. Perhaps I was even a bit optimistic.

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you.

 

Yeah, for all those reasons above, I'd hang on to it. Fashions in furniture changes, sooner or later values will change too.

 

Makes a lot of sense, thanks!