Early-20th-Century French Country Walnut Console Table - 51¼"

This French walnut table likely dates from the early 20th century. The rectangular top is constructed from broad boards framed by a molded border and rests above a substantial base of boldly turned baluster legs joined by X-form stretchers. The walnut has developed a deep, warm brown patina, with scratches, marks, stains and variations in tone recording its long use. The joints between the boards of the top have widened somewhat with age, and one area shows an old restoration. Four metal locking pieces or “keys” remain beneath the top; their precise original function is uncertain, but they form part of the table’s historic construction. 

The strongly turned legs and substantial stretchers give the table the robust character of provincial French furniture, while its relatively shallow proportions make it particularly useful today as a console or as an additional work and display surface in a kitchen. The substantial X-form stretchers make it less naturally suited to regular dining with chairs, but contribute considerably to the grounded, architectural quality of the base.