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Photo: Courtesy Christie's, New York
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Card tables, pair

Object number

RIF5172

Maker

Maker Nicholas Easton, 1752–1825

Dimensions

28 3/4 × 36 × 17 3/4 in. (73.03 × 91.44 × 45.09 cm)

Date

1792

Current location

Unknown

Geography

Made in Providence, Rhode Island
(view a map of Rhode Island)

Medium

Mahogany (primary); pine (curved front corners, stationary rails, corner blocks and blocks between the rails); cherry (hinged rail and possibily center section of front rail)

Inscriptions

"Candace Allen," in chalk, on underside of top of one table

Provenance

Captain Philip Allen (1738–1794), Providence, Rhode Island; by descent to his niece Candace Allen (1788–1860), Providence, Rhode Island; possibily by descent to her nephew Charles Bernon Allen (1831–1880), Providence, Rhode Island; by descent to his son Philip Allen, Sr. (1869–1951), Providence, Rhode Island; by descent to his son William Slater Allen, Sr. (1904–1991); consigned to Sotheby's, New York, January 30–31, and February 1, 1986, lot 663. Joseph K. Ott (1929–1994), Providence, Rhode Island; by descent to his wife Anne Ott, Providence, Rhode Island; consigned to Christie's, New York, January 20, 2012, lot 159. Northeast Auctions, Hampton and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, March 9–10, 2013, lot 74

Associated names

Candace Allen
Capt. Philip Allen
Joseph K. Ott
Christie's
Northeast Auctions
Sotheby's
William Slater Allen
Philip Allen
Charles Bernon Allen

Construction

The upper single-board hinged leaf has a square edge carved with multiple small arches. The lower single-board stationary leaf has a chamfered edge, which tapers toward the brass hinges screwed into each leaf at their rear corners. There are no leaf-edge tenons. The lower leaf is attached to the frame with screw pockets, one each at the central, straight portion of the skirt, one each at the curving portions, and two each at the rear, stationary rail. The central portion of the frame is solid, as are the curving portions. The legs are joined to the frame with mortise and tenon joints (exhibiting scribe lines on the underside of the rear rail), and vertical glue-blocks (some missing, some replaced). The stationary rail joins the skirt by means of a two-dovetail joint, with half-pins above and below. The stationary rail is attached by five roseheads nailed through a block to the hinged rail. The top of the hinged leg has a mahogany block attached with a large screw and dowel to its joint with the hinged rail. The hinged rail has a square, five knuckled hinge. Attached with brads to the underside of the skirt is a thin strip of mahogany, revealed at the front as a wavy line. The square, tapering legs are molded on the outside faces only. Examined by P. E. Kane and W. S. Braznell, January 14, 2012; notes compiled by T. B. Lloyd.

Notes

Among the papers of Joseph K. Ott is a transcription of a receipt reading "March 24, 1792 / Received of Capt Philip Allen / for Two Mahogany Card Tables / Nicholas Easton." When the tables were sold at Christie's in 2012, the whereabouts of the original receipt were unknown [note 1]. The receipt has since been located in the collection of the Clouds Hill Victorian Museum, Warwick, Rhode Island, where other objects with a history in the Allen family of Providence are owned [note 2]. Note 1. Christie's, New York, sale cat., The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph K. Ott, January 20, 2012, p. 74. Note 2. See RIF6778.

Bibliography

Christie's, New York, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph K. Ott, sale cat. (January 20, 2012), 74–75, lot 159.
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, N.H., Important Weekend Auction, sale cat. (March 9–10, 2013), 27, lot 74.
Sotheby's, New York, Important Americana, sale cat. (January 30–Februrary 1, 1986), lot 663. The chalk inscription is incorrectly transcribed as "Constance Allen.".