Vintage Mid Century Side Table with a Handmade Marquetry Panel Top Featuring a Floral Motif, Unknown Maker, Presume Italian-Made, Condition Issues, Needs Restoring

I am continuing my effort to downsize as unfortunately we will have to move all our belongings into temporary storage due to builders carrying out major remediation works to our brand new home.
I’m trying to minimize the pain by reducing the amount of packing required to be done!

Next up is a small piece of furniture that I purchased some time ago with the plan to do a course in restoration and use this as my practice piece. With everything going on with the house, I’m a couple of years away from being able to even consider a new hobby, so I will let this piece go. It will be one less thing to pack and put in storage!

For Sale here is a Vintage Mid Century Side Table with a Handmade Marquetry Panel Top Featuring a Floral Motif, Unknown Maker, Presume Italian-Made, Condition Issues, Needs Restoring

This is a lovely example of the almost lost art of Marquetry - also spelled as marqueterie, which is the art and craft of applying pieces of different wood veneers to a structure to form decorative patterns or designs. The technique may be applied to case furniture or even seat furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth, veneerable surfaces or to freestanding pictorial panels appreciated in their own right as works of art.

I have a great appreciation for this almost lost skill, as both my father and grandfather were skilled in the craft of marquetry, and I have grown up visiting my Grandad’s house where his panels decorated the walls.
It’s this family history that drew me to this piece of furniture, even though it is in less than perfect condition. The table evoked so many memories, when I found it, I had to make the purchase.

Marquetery panels and small pieces of furniture with marquetery elements, were quite the gift or souvenir to bring back from travels to Italy during the 50’s and 60’s, when not so many people had the chance for foreign holidays. This table has legs that screw off, for ease of transport, making it small enough to carry in a suitcase, home from “The Grand Tour”!

The marquetery on the table features a central cartouche with a floral theme and swags and scrolls around the edges.

The marquetery itself is in good condition, but the edges of the lacquer/varnish have started to lift and chip off. This would need to be completely removed and re-varnished, to restore the table to its former glory. But it is useable as is.

As mentioned, the four legs screw off (an early form of flatpack furniture), but one leg is a bit loose unless turned an extra half a revolution, which means it them faces the wrong direction! An easy fix, to secure it permanently, but again I haven’t done this and just use the table with a slight wobble!!

The table stands 20 inches/51cm tall and 17.75 inches/45cm by 13.5 inches/35cm at the top.

Perfect for use as an occasional table, an elegant bedside table (it’s current function!) or as a side table at the end of a sofa (it’s recent function!)

I hope someone with restoration skills takes this on, and doesn’t just leave it as-is like I have unfortunately done!!

From a smoke and pet-free home. Discounts possible for multiple purchases. Check out my other ads and more coming soon!