ATTRIBUTED TO ANTHONY G. QUERVELLE (1789-1856), PHILADELPHIA, 1825-1835

Combining bold three-dimensional carving with veneered and stencilled surfaces, the pier table offered here illustrates the superb craftsmanship of Anthony G. Quervelle (1789-1856) at the peak of his career. Born in France, Quervelle immigrated to America in 1817 where he soon became Philadelphia's leading cabinetmaker. Just as his compatriot Charles-Honoré Lannuier introduced New York's elite to the latest in high-style French design, Quervelle furnished the homes of Philadelphians with his adaptions of the French Restauration and the English Regency styles. His success was acknowledged by prizes won at the exhibitions of mechanical arts at the Franklin Institute in the late 1820s and by a commission to supply the White House for President Jackson in 1829 (Smith, "The furniture of Anthony G. Quervelle: Part I: The pier tables," The Magazine Antiques (May 1973), pp. 984-994).

Indicative of Quervelle's work are the stencilled designs on the cavetto molding. Discarding the French preference for applied mounts, Quervelle substituted these features with more American-favored stencil-work (Smith, p. 985; for identical stencilled motifs on other tables, see Smith, figs. 1, 4, 8 and pl. 11; Christie's New York, January 15-16, 1999, lot 749 and January 20-21, 2006, lot 807).