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Antique oval table from England

7 years ago

My grandparents passed this down but it doesn't fit in our small unit. I am looking to sell it but know very little about it or a fair asking price. Hoping someone can help me know this beautiful piece a bit better.

It is short, you can only just get your legs underneath. It is in good condition, scratches but no major dints or chips. The top locks in to the bottom piece vertically for storage however the locking system is not working properly, looks like missing screws rather than major damage to the wood.

Thank you - see pic


Comments (23)

  • 7 years ago

    Since it is so short, I can't imagine a man being able to sit at it. Was it a hall table, such as one used in the central entry hall?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    It is not a dining table. Perhaps it was for a hall, entrance or a sofa table

  • 7 years ago

    Not that familiar with English furniture but I agree with the above posters but am also aware that depending on age dining chairs could be lower than they currently are. Since this style is currently out of fashion its worth is what you can get someone to pay you. If you have a shop that specializes in English furniture you might want to place it on consignment with them. Alternative is if you itemize deduction donate it.

  • 7 years ago

    I can't see the underside nor do I know the size nor what "short" means. But it could be a game table meant to stand against a wall when not in use.
    Impossible to give an estimate of fair price without knowing more.

  • 7 years ago

    I agree with mailfleur that currently "brown" furniture is not desirable and there is a glut on the market as baby boomers are dying/downsizing and their children don't want their old furniture - or the furniture baby boomers got from THEIR parents.


    I just remodeled/redecorated and would up giving vintage pieces inherited from my grandparents to my neighbor whose brother needed furniture. I had checked with some antique/used furniture places with pictures and also posted on craigslist - essentially to confirm that what I had really had no market value or so little market value that I was happier giving it to my friend's family who could really use it.


    Alternatively donate it and take the donation or just take pleasure that you have made a gift to the charity of your choice.

  • 7 years ago

    The oval table in question is more than just "brown" furniture....it's mid 19th century, likely walnut or mahogany. It's not retained the value it once had....but it's not generic brown stuff of the 1950's

  • 7 years ago

    One of the strange things that I see with brown furniture is that while no one wants it some of the high end hotels and some bars are starting to again have sitting areas using this type of brown furniture. There seems to be a split in the industry between ultra modern or comfort furniture in the hotels I have visited recently. I think the return to brown furniture is still at least ten years away especially the smaller pieces IF someone has a place to store it the good pieces will regain popularity.

  • 7 years ago

    linda it is also English which has a higher value in some but not all markets.

  • 7 years ago

    My brown furniture was from the 19th century and there was simply no market for it. My large curio cabinet was ornately carved and had two bowed glass side cabinets. i wasn’t assuming it wasn‘t relatively new stuff from the post WW II era although my walnut Danish modern side table probably has some value although it is brown as well because it is MCM which is currently popular.


    The OP can determine if there is any interest or actual dollar value by contacting consignment and used or antique furniture stores in his or her area and see if there is any interest. You can also see if there are any similar listings on Craigslist.


    Or they can contact an appraiser in their area to get an appraised value.

  • 7 years ago

    On a whim I looked up one of the stores in this area that I have seen English furniture. The OP might want to contact them to see if they are interested. While American brown furniture is dead in this area European brown furniture still has a small market. This is a high end shop so she can perhaps direct the OP to someone in their area. https://www.crestwoodshops.com/pear-tree-design-antiques

  • 7 years ago

    I wanted to add that I am not convinced that the table is English manufacture.

  • 7 years ago

    I am blown away by how helpful everyone is being. Thank you!!!

    I wanted to show more photos of underside etc but i was finding it very difficult to upload on this site.

    i Might try antique stores as suggested and Craig’s list And decide what I want to do from there.

    A gaming or cards table makes sense, my mum also suggested a table to sew at?

  • 7 years ago



  • 7 years ago



  • 7 years ago

    I showed An antique seller the photos, he suggest a rosewood or elm loo table 1860-90, England. price australia $200 but i Might hang on to it and wait thanks again everyone!

  • 7 years ago

    Hang on to it....it's very nice!....and once you sell it ...it's gone.

  • 7 years ago

    It can't really be a gaming table -- oval isn't right. Two people are too far from the action. Game tables need to be round or square!

  • 7 years ago

    As I posted, I had a LOT of stuff including beautiful vintage furniture which I had inherited from my parents and grandparents.


    If you have a use for the table and it appeals to you aesthetically by all means keep it.


    However if you are keeping it and it isn't functional and doesn't really give you aesthetic pleasure, release it into the universe. My stuff had sentimental value as I remembered a lot of the pieces from my childhood as well as being objectively quite beautiful - however. the pieces were not "beautiful" when used in my current space and in fact detracted from the aesthetics because they simply didn't work.




  • 7 years ago

    I see mai fleur, and understand, -- as a bridge player, I find it hard to play at an oval table if you're on the long ends but perhaps "loo" doesn't have that obstacle.

  • 7 years ago

    I have never seen loo played other than in a movie. My supposition was that the elongated ones were both for style and to provide extra space for drinks until I looked there could be from 3 to 8 players. You can have more players with an elongated table. The time that this type of card game was played a square table for cards would have been unusual. Since betting was involved the center would be for money or counters.

  • 7 years ago

    The feet of this table shows no wear! Tables like this one, when used by people sitting around, usually show wear marks on the feet caused people's feet resting on, or bumping the table feet. Children often scuff these parts. This leads me to think that it was gently used and well cared for. I suspect it was never used as a dining table or for card playing. The owners may have used it as a hallway table or an accent piece on which to display bouquets, etc.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    It's what's known as a breakfast table, probably mid to late-ish 19th century, so high Victorian. It would sit in a corner of the drawing room, and be rolled out and opened up for breakfast, or an elegant afternoon tea, or for playing cards, then put away again. It's likely to be lower to accommodate lower chairs. The tabletop was usually a quality wood with handsome grain, likely mahogany, so when rolled away it was still an attractive piece in a busy room.

    You can sometimes use big bolts to replace the missing pins, or try Ebay UK, funky old architectural reclamation places, etc.

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