Center Table
Maker
Unknown American
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Center Table
Datec. 1860–1870
Possible placeFredericksburg, Texas, United States
MediumBlack walnut
Dimensions29 3/8 × 37 1/2 in. (74.6 × 95.3 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of William J. Hill
Object numberB.2007.16
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Texas Room
Exposé
Explore Further
Department
Bayou BendObject Type
Center tables are named for their usual location in the center of a room. They became popular in the United States in the early 1800s and were often used in conjunction with table lamps. This example has a particularly finely proportioned baluster-form pedestal. Rhythmic swellings in the legs’ profiles add unexpected visual interest. The thoughtful details of the design indicate a highly skilled, though still anonymous, maker.
Adapted from Lonn Taylor and David B. Warren. Texas Furniture: The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840–1880. Vol. 2. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 2012.
ProvenanceBy tradition, owned by the Kramer family of Fredericksburg, Texas; collected by [Leonard Goedken], Fredericksburg; purchased by William J. Hill (1934–2018), Houston; given to MFAH, 2007.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
Unknown American
c. 1760–1800
Black walnut; black walnut, yellow-poplar and Atlantic white cedar
B.69.78
Unknown American
c. 1700–1725
Black walnut, walnut veneer, and aspen; eastern white pine
B.69.45
John Henry Belter
1855
Rosewood and rosewood veneer; ash, black walnut, and marble
B.81.9.9
Unknown American
c. 1730–1800
Black walnut; yellow-poplar, red oak, Atlantic white cedar, chestnut, eastern white pine, and black walnut
B.61.82
Unknown American
c. 1730–1775
Black walnut; black walnut and southern yellow pine
B.69.407.2
Unknown American
c. 1730–1775
Black walnut; black walnut and southern yellow pine
B.69.407.1
Unknown American
c. 1740–1800
Black walnut; black walnut, chestnut, and yellow-poplar
B.65.8
Unknown American
c. 1700–1730
Black walnut, undetermined burl veneer, and eastern white pine; eastern white pine, black walnut, yellow-poplar, cherry, Cuban oyster wood (Gymnanthes lucida), and chestnut
B.69.42
Unknown American
c. 1740–1795
Black walnut; black walnut, sweetgum, cherry, and soft maple
B.69.251