French Two-Tier Wooden Tea Table c. 1900 - 34¼"

This French side table, circa 1900, has a gracefully architectural silhouette, set on tall, slender legs with stop-fluted faces and finely turned collars. The shaped lower tabletop is flanked by small wrought handles on each side, practical details that lend the piece a touch of whimsy and a faintly ceremonial air. Above it, a second tier is lifted on baluster-turned posts, creating an airy, two-level structure that feels both functional and sculptural. The wood retains a beautifully timeworn, stripped surface, with soft honeyed tones and charcoal traces of an earlier darker finish still clinging to the mouldings and edges. A curved stretcher ties the legs together and centers a small urn finial, adding a final neoclassical flourish. The table stands in stable, usable condition, showing scattered losses, softened corners, and surface abrasions consistent with age, imperfections that only deepen its character and patina.

This form, often called a table à thé (tea table), follows a long French tradition of small salon tables fitted with a reduced second tier above the main surface. The side handles made it easy to carry from room to room, while the two-level design accommodated the full ritual of tea service: cups, saucers, milk pot, and teapot on the upper stage, with additional utensils below.

Perfectly scaled beside a bergère or settee, it serves as a refined lamp table or drinks stand in a living room, library, or boudoir. Style it with a small porcelain service or a stack of books on the lower shelf and a vase or petite lamp above. Its muted, timeworn patina pairs easily with painted boiserie, warm woods, or contemporary upholstery, adding a gentle note of French character without overpowering the room.