Antique Mahogany Side Table or Sewing Table

The lid does not work as it should and I want that first. The stay fitting that held it open is gone, leaving a small empty rectangular mortise in the lid edge, and what is holding it now is a strip of paper tape that has torn through. The lid will not stay open on its own and should be supported by hand until a proper stay is fitted back into that mortise. The hinges themselves are corroded on the surface, their screws are not matched to each other, and one hinge area shows a lost hardware seat. Any buyer should plan on a restorer sorting the lid before using the compartment.

There is a chip through the shaped edge at the front right corner of the top, roughly three quarters of an inch, with an open check continuing along the corner. The top surface has a fine check running about two inches in from the left rear, a small dark void or old fill toward the back right, and general fine scratching throughout. The top is not fully tight to the case at the front right, and a small steel plate has been screwed across that joint at some point to hold it. The rear corner post has a chunk of wood missing below the top, roughly an inch and a half, exposing coarse pale wood beneath the finish. The lid has a chip at its upper corner with raw wood showing.

Running down the centre of the lid interior there is a line of small holes. I have not been able to determine whether these are old tack holes from a lining that was removed or old worm exit holes. I see no frass and no sign of anything active, but I would rather tell you what I do not know than guess.

Inside the well, one divider has a small gap where it meets the case side and the divider tops sit slightly uneven. Of the thread pins, several are bent and several have snapped off short. The floor of the well has a pale greyish patch across the centre and left with a soft edge, which reads as an old moisture stain rather than anything structural. The bays are bare figured wood and were never lined.

Both lock plates are present but there is no key. The drawer knob is undersized against the lock below it, so one of the two has been changed. The lower shelf has a visible seam between its boards with a slight step at the joint. The legs and turned feet carry scuffs and small nicks throughout, with no losses to the turnings. The case sides show light surface scratching. The case is structurally sound and sits level on all four feet.

#80