Doe and Hope

Description

The shaped square penwork chequer top depicting floral and man in moon motifs within a broad band of flowers and foliage on a turned column and incurved canted triform base, standing on bun feet, survives from the late Regency period.

In tired but thoroughly charming condition the penwork top is worn with one area of tarnish and two corners with losses to the penwork. We like pieces that show wear and that haven’t been restored poorly and this table has much character. The base has not been re-blackened and there are no signs of any repair work. We have given her a clear wax coat.

In the Regency period one of the uses of japanning was for ornamental decoration known as penwork, found on the tops of tables as we see here, panels of cabinet furniture and smaller pieces like boxes and trays. Pen work, or pen and ink tended to illustrate people and animals in landscapes or as we see here, stylised motifs of flora, fauna and natural scenes. Often carried out at home in ones leisure time, the techniques actually used for this decoration are not always consistent. Pen work decoration was often applied on light woods, such as sycamore, in black fine lines on a lighter background, though sometimes this was done in reverse.

A delicately decorative table, which we think, is most comfortable nestling in un-restored condition.