NEW YORK, 1740-1760

Both displaying closely related turnings, ogee-shaped aprons and use of mahogany and red gum woods, this table and a celebrated example made for Sir William Johnson were most likely made in the same New York City shop. As discussed by Peter M. Kenny, the Johnson table featured in early publications and was hailed by Wallace Nutting as the "Supreme Gate Leg." The urn-and-baluster turnings on the legs on both table are particularly robust, with pronounced curvature that distinguishes them from other examples with this design (see Peter M. Kenny, “Flat Gates, Draw Bars, Twists, and Urns: New York’s Distinctive Oval Table with Falling Leaves,” American Furniture 1994 (Milwaukee, WI, 1994), pp. 116-118, 123, figs. 15, 18-21, 29). The table offered here bears the initials CVH, which may refer to Cornelius Van Houten (1682-1748) of New Jersey. He married Aagtje Johannis Vreeland (1690-1728) in 1711 and in the twentieth century, the table was owned by Clara V. (Rech) Foster (1879-1967), the widow of Richard Vreeland Foster (1884-1962). According to a note found with the table at the time of its sale in 1985, the table had descended in the family of Richard, whose ancestors included numerous members of the Vreeland family in early to mid-eighteenth century New Jersey. Soon before her death in 1967, Clara gave table to her nurse, Florence Mitchell, from whose estate it was purchased in 1982.