American late Classical Period Pier Table or Console, flame mahogany veneer and white pine with rectangular black and gold marble top, stenciled on bottom of marble LEVI TAYLOR, MARBLE WORKER, BALTIMORE. Possibly from the shop of John Hall, Baltimore. Ogee skirt atop two ogee curved front supports with scrolled ends, the back with inset rectangular "petticoat" mirror, atop a serpentine front base; scrolled front feet and turned rear feet. 37" H x 40" W x 20 1/2" D. Circa 1840s. Note: Another marble top marked Levi Taylor is found on a washstand attributed to Thomas Day from the Kerr family of Caswell County, North Carolina. Ref. Marshall & Leimenstoll: Thomas Day Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color. p. 227. A table nearly identical to this one (except for its cupid's bow shaped platform), also with Levi Taylor labeled marble top, is pictured on page 139 of CLASSICAL MARYLAND: FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE, Maryland Historical Society, 1993, and page 195 (figure 173) of FURNTURE IN MARYLAND: THE COLLECTION OF THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY by Gregory Wiedman, 1984. It descended in the family of Maryland Governor Thomas Ward Veasey (1774-1842). Wiedman notes that the design of that table "is identical to that of the table illustrated on Plate 17, No 86 of John Hall's THE CABINETMAKER'S ASSISTANT (Baltimore, 1840) except for the Cupid's bow shaped platform." Wiedman also notes that "Taylor is listed as a stonecutter in the Baltimore city directories from 1831-1841. By 1842 he was running his own steam marble yard, and in 1850, he was listed as "propriteor, Importer and Dealer... Monuments, Grave Stones, Mantiles (sic) and Table Tops." (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)

Overall very good restored condition with French polish; scattered small veneer chips and repairs, particularly to front of serpentine base; scattered shrinkage; a few filled chips to corners and edges of wood. Marble top in overall good condition with an 8" light scratch, 1" shallow chip near rear of top, and three narrow chips to back edge, ranging from 1/3" to 1 1/4". Some clouding to mirror edges. Professional restoration by Jim Horne Studios, Nashville, TN.