Fine Twelve-Piece Italian Renaissance-Inspired Walnut Dining Suite

comprised of a banquet table, a marble-top server/console, a marble-top cabinet, a cupboard/china cabinet, and eight dining chairs, all executed in walnut, mahogany, various burlwoods and figured veneers, and contrasting light and dark wood line stringing, with the stenciled label of the "American Art Furniture Co., NY", each piece extensively carved, the table with draw ends opening to accommodate the pair of 20" outside skirted leaves, h. 30", w. 41", l. 78-1/2", ext. l. 118-1/2", the marble-top cabinet with a central bank of drawers flanked by frieze drawers, over doors opening to reveal a bank of linen drawers, h. 37-1/2", w. 53", d. 24", the cupboard-on-stand with a pair of doors on a base with cabriole legs joined by a carved stretcher, h. 75-1/2", w. 44-1/2", d. 20-1/2", the server/console with a marble top over a band of drawers with a pierced and carved apron, h. 38-3/4", w. 86", d. 23", the two armchairs with carved crests, h. 46-1/2", and the six side chairs with cabriole front legs and shaped stretchers, h. 39-1/2".


Notes: Little has been written about the "American Art Furniture Company", nor have their labeled pieces surfaced in the marketplace. The firm was apparently in business for a short duration in the early years of the 20th century. The present suite of furniture bears a resemblance in both style and scale to fine contemporaneous Italian dining suites being imported to the United States. The quality of woods, together with the admirable way the case pieces and tables have shown resistance to shrinkage, structural and finish issues testifies to the firm's ability to equal the finest work of domestic competitors such as Berkey & Gay, The Royal Furniture Company, and the emerging Baker Furniture Company.

The finish and surfaces of the suite are in remarkably good condition, retaining good color, and relatively few mars, scrubs and blemishes and no significant veneer losses, veneer tears or shrinkage. All drawers slide effortlessly. Table: Sturdy and stable. The top has one scratch, about 3" long at the perimeter bending and several small veneer flakes at its perimeter edges, the largest being three of about 1/4" by 1/4". There are a couple scrubs/abrasions to the sides of legs, and a shallow chip/loss at the top of one leg, about 1/2" by 3/8". Serpentine Cabinet: Solid and stable. The marble top exhibits several old breaks and repairs including one visible crack with losses to its filler about 12" long. There are interior drawers behind the cupboard doors. All slide smoothly. High Cabinet on Console Base: Sturdy and stable. Retains functioning lock and key. Console/Server: Stable and functional. The marble top exhibits past repairs; there are some chips along its back edge and a visible repaired break at a rear corner with a corresponding chip at the edge, about 1" by 1-1/4" by 1". Suite of Dining Chairs: Two side chairs exhibit some movement at the stile/seat rail joint. Some wear to upholstery. A number of the chairs exhibit repaired breaks to the legs; in some cases a non-structural filler was used. There are also some repaired breaks to the stiles. The chairs exhibit more rubbing and surface mars than the rest of the suite.