One cold November afternoon Daniele and I were traveling on a country road west of London when an old car with this piece of furniture on its roof passed us going in the opposite direction.
On an impulse, I made a U-turn and flagged the startled driver down. He was a furniture restorer and had just bought this old table from a farmer.
I offered him $150 and he sold it to me right there. Now my roof rack was already loaded. Our son, Henri, 9 months old, was in a cradle on the back seat. It was a dilemma.
We took out the cradle and left it on side of the road and placed the table upside down on the back seat. The cradle mattress and Henri went into the tight underside of the table between the legs and the straight up leaves.
We drove that way for about a week until we arrived back in Germany. We never restored it. On holidays we used it as a side table but mostly it stayed in the garage.
However, researching this piece of furniture for “What Is It?” uncovered that it is a mahogany Queen Anne table made around 1750.
The source of the wood was from one of England’s colonies either India or Haiti. In the small homes of those days, it may have been used as a kitchen side table and then the leaves were lifted at dinner time, and it became a dining table. There are a few tables of this type offered by dealers. Some are ornate. This one is considered a Queen Anne because of its distinctive feet. Others made around 1800 are called Georgian. Prices vary but a well restored similar table might sell for two thousand dollars.
(Editor’s note: Palisades resident Howard Yonet has an interesting collection of curios from around the world and with his permission, Circling the News is publishing one a week. About the collector: Dr. Howard Yonet was born in Brooklyn in 1934 and attended Brooklyn College. He went to Baylor Medical School and then returned to do an internship at Bellevue Hospital. Yonet completed his residency at the Manhattan V.A. and the Montefiore Hospital. During this time he went skiing in Vermont and the Catskills, and while traveling found barns filled with early American pieces. This led to his interest in American Antiques.
In 1965, he married Daniele, who was originally from Nancy, France. During the Vietnam War, Yonet was drafted as a medical officer and stationed in Landstuhl, Germany (1966-1969). This was close to the French border, which meant he and Daniele and could visit her family.
While abroad, the Yonets took weekend trips through France and Italy, purchasing many interesting pieces at flea markets.
The family settled in Pacific Palisades in 1970 and Yonet practiced general radiology until 2006. He continued to acquire antiques and collectables at estate and garage sales and the Salvation Army Store. He also enjoyed looking for collectibles while traveling in Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Massachusetts. Daniele’s family helped add to his collection.)
wonderful table and a beautiful ‘cut-work’ displayed on top…thank you Howard.