Tables don't have to be rare to be beautiful

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Dear Helaine and Joe:I purchased this table at a yard sale some 40 years ago for $35. It is 27 inches tall and there are no markings on it. Is it an antique, and is it hand carved? Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated.Thank you,D.S., Moline, Ill.Dear D.S.:There is a very special joy in finding a treasure at a yard sale. Perhaps it's the same sort of pleasure our primitive hunter/gatherer ancestors felt when they hunted down and wrestled to the ground a particularly succulent candidate for dinner.There is the unmistakable thrill of discovery, the elation of finding something beautiful that we can use in our homes, the excitement of getting it at a really good price, and the satisfying feeling that we have somehow triumphed over the odds. There is no question that this is a very beautiful table, but unfortunately, there is also no question that it is a reproduction. It was made in America sometime in late first or early second quarter of the 20th century (say, circa 1925) and it is in the French Louis XV style.This style is seen in the depictions of shells, sensuously curved and trailing floral motifs, the graceful cabriole legs with scroll feet, and the piercing that can be seen in the "apron" under the table's top. The type of design originated in the mid 18th century and is often referred to as the "rococo" style.This name is derived from the French work "rocaille," which means "rock-work," and was first used to describe the grottos and fountains located in the extensive gardens around the Palace of Versailles. In French furniture, it is associated - as we have already said - with the reign of Louis XV, but the style quickly spread to England where it greatly influenced the furniture designs of Thomas Chippendale and others.The rococo style is characterized by the depiction of naturalistic forms such as rocks, shells, fruit, and flowers, plus scrolls (particularly "C" scrolls), ribbons, and stylized representations of acanthus leaves. Pieces often have "cabriole" legs, which are composed of two curves with an upper out-curving one (convex) and a lower in-curving one (concave) that together form an inverted "S." Among other things, cabriole legs can terminate with a ball and claw foot, a pad foot, or a foot with a "swirl" on the end like the ones in today's question. There is also some very nice floral inlay work on this table that is called "marquetry." If the inlay work had been simply geometric, it would have been called "parquetry."The table owned by D.S. was probably machine made in the United States and used some solid mahogany, with satinwood and mahogany veneering. This style was very popular with the public because it intimated a formal, regal and dignified lifestyle, that was not particularly easy to achieve in America in the 1920's and 30's.Tables of this sort in various configurations were mass produced to be used as side tables, center tables, occasional tables, and coffee tables. This one might have been used as a lamp table next to a chair or between two chairs, or it might have served any number of other purposes in a family's living or bed room.Tables of this sort are beautiful, but they are not rare and the insurance replacement value is rather modest. Still, D.S. got a good deal 40 years ago, and today, this table is worth between $300 and $400. Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, PO Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)