If I were to guess, it looks like pecan wood from the 70's.

clt3, thanks. That was my guess too. Any recommendation for taking down the gloss a bit? I've been reading 000 or 0000 steel wool.

Agree it looks like my pecan wood table, but from the mid 60s.

Blubird, I think you might be closer with that date. My friend is close to 70 and it belonged to her grandparents. She doesn't baby it and it looks great. It would look fabulous with a more satin sheen. Hoping it can be done without stripping the top. The rest of the table doesn't have the high sheen.

Toxcrusadr, that sounds good. Says I, who won't be doing the actual work. :)

I truly do like helping others with their projects but sometimes helping them to help people help them seem's almost as important. In this case,asking "how can this finish be dulled" might solicit more relivant answers than "what type wood is this". That's a diversion and it worked. Not a single answer addressed the #1 consideration before touching the table. That important first step is to make certain all possible traces of silicon has been removed. Considering how unclear answers can be to unclear questions,it's usually best for the one who will be doing the actual work ask the questions.

Silicon? Do you mean silicone, and where would that come from, and why is it a problem?

I think I know the answers to these questions, but for the benefit of the OP...

That's a diversion and it worked.

Huh? Are you saying that I, the OP, wasn't being upfront about the info I was seeking?

I did want to know what the wood species was, and then I wondered about dulling the surface. I couldn't fit all that into the subject line, but the folks who provided responses did a pretty good job of figuring that out.

I appreciate all the replies! I had guessed that the table was pecan, so it was gratifying to have this confirmed.

The one who will do the actual work is my dear friend and the owner of the table. She's more than capable of doing the work, but alas, isn't as much a fan of online discussions as I am. So I offered to find out what I could for her, and she is grateful for that.

Take a good look at the sides of that tabletop (does it split open for leaves?) and make sure you’re not dealing with a thin veneer. You can still work with veneer, but you’ll have to be much more careful not to rub through it.

We’re going on the assumption that it is a thin veneer and will proceed accordingly.

I have a pecan table that looks like that wood species that was my parents'. And yes from the 60's, and when you said your friend was close to 70 I shocked myself by thinking, well, so am I! (I'm 66.)

My table is veneered as well.

As you said upthread, Bunny, 0000 steel wool used with a very light touch. Or if she is feeling industrious, buy some Renaissance wax, a very hard, microcrystalline wax, thin it a bit, and rub a very small amount of it on at a time. Once hardened, it won’t go anywhere. I have bowls finished with Renaissance wax over tung oil that I have been using and washing for years without any real change in the gloss of the finish. DH is a pro woodworker, and I am an amateur, so between the two of us we have tried out a lot of finishes.

My friend has tried a little 0000 steel wool on the leaf she rarely uses and thinks it will give her just the look she's after. Judging from the leaf, the veneer is thicker than she expected. I will mention Renaissance wax to her.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful and helpful responses.