Title
Tea Table
Object Type
Date
1750-1770
Description
This tea table descended in the family of George P. Wetmore of Chateau-sur-Mer on Bellevue Avenue and was purchased by Doris Duke at the auction of the house’s contents in September 1969 after the death of its last owner, Edith Wetmore (1870-1966). In the past the table was attributed to the workshop of John Goddard (1723-1785) of Newport, but with more recent research - and appreciation of just how many other fine craftsman there were in 18th-century Newport - this and many other traditional attributions of Newport furniture are being reconsidered.
The rectangular top tea table was the most popular type of tea table made in New England during the 18th century. The most numerous Newport examples had thin curving, cabriole legs terminating in elegant, elongated "slipper" feet (see NRF accession number 2001.367), while higher-style tables in the third quarter of the 18th century had serpentine, or curved, sides and ball and claw feet. This tea table in the Whitehorne House Museum collection is an amalgam of the two styles. The upper section is simple in form, recalling Newport tea tables with slipper feet, the lower section, however, with its leaf and petal carved legs and ball and claw feet were the most expensive option available to the purchaser. The talons here are undercut, a risky and time consuming job, adding further to the cost. Of special note on this table is how the rear talon of each foot is accented with bulbous knuckles, a feature often associated with the work or workshop of John Goddard. Also, the leaf and petal carving, so often seen on high style Newport pieces, is more deeply carved than usual and gives a feeling of downward motion, another characteristic often associated with John Goddard.
The table has some unique and unusual features that suggest it was altered to suit the needs of either its original or a later owner. Around the perimeter of the top, for example, is a heavy rounded, applied molding with notched corners rarely seen on other Newport tea tables, whose corners more typically end in sharp points. The side panels - or apron - of the table are deeper than those usually found on Newport tea tables, with the silhouette recalling gaming tables of the period. And, finally, the two brass-knobbed slides on each of the long sides of the table are also unusual and appear to be later additions, perhaps to support a candle or extra implements and vessels for serving tea, a practice that was becoming ever more complex and ritualized during the period in which this table was made.
The rectangular top tea table was the most popular type of tea table made in New England during the 18th century. The most numerous Newport examples had thin curving, cabriole legs terminating in elegant, elongated "slipper" feet (see NRF accession number 2001.367), while higher-style tables in the third quarter of the 18th century had serpentine, or curved, sides and ball and claw feet. This tea table in the Whitehorne House Museum collection is an amalgam of the two styles. The upper section is simple in form, recalling Newport tea tables with slipper feet, the lower section, however, with its leaf and petal carved legs and ball and claw feet were the most expensive option available to the purchaser. The talons here are undercut, a risky and time consuming job, adding further to the cost. Of special note on this table is how the rear talon of each foot is accented with bulbous knuckles, a feature often associated with the work or workshop of John Goddard. Also, the leaf and petal carving, so often seen on high style Newport pieces, is more deeply carved than usual and gives a feeling of downward motion, another characteristic often associated with John Goddard.
The table has some unique and unusual features that suggest it was altered to suit the needs of either its original or a later owner. Around the perimeter of the top, for example, is a heavy rounded, applied molding with notched corners rarely seen on other Newport tea tables, whose corners more typically end in sharp points. The side panels - or apron - of the table are deeper than those usually found on Newport tea tables, with the silhouette recalling gaming tables of the period. And, finally, the two brass-knobbed slides on each of the long sides of the table are also unusual and appear to be later additions, perhaps to support a candle or extra implements and vessels for serving tea, a practice that was becoming ever more complex and ritualized during the period in which this table was made.
Cultural Origin
American, Rhode Island
Medium
mahogany
Extent
Overall: 29 3/4 x 22 x 33 in. (75.6 x 55.9 x 83.8 cm)
Collection
Source
Edith M. K. Wetmore (1870–1966), Newport, Rhode Island; consigned by her estate to Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, September 16, 1969, lot 983; sold to Doris Duke (1912-1993) for Newport Restoration Foundation, Newport, RI, 1969; Whitehorne House Museum, Newport Restoration Foundation, from 1974
Identifier
1999.533
For more information about this item, please contact its owning institution.