FURNITURE FIT FOR A KING
Ornate table speaks to an affinity with the styles of French monarch Louis XV
Q This heavily ornate table was in my grandmother’s Montreal family for years, and she was born in 1887. My guesstimate is that it dates to the end of the 1800s or early 1900s. It swings around, unfolds and opens up to a green felt poker table. The table is on rollers and is 80 centimetres tall, 97 cm wide across the back and 44 cm deep. I’d appreciate any information you can provide.
Nancy, Ottawa
A The ornate features of your table — including curves, scrolls, cabriole legs and organic figurative carving — all add up to the Rococo Revival style, popular from 1850 to 1865.
Many talented carvers and furniture businesses operated in both Montreal and Quebec City during these years, and similar pieces have been found in the homes of prominent citizens from both locations.
The carved birds, fruit and stylized canine heads are typical of the style, and speak to an affinity with past Louis XV opulence as well as 19th-century North American tastes.
Your table looks to be made of walnut with a burled walnut top, and what appears to be an original finish is in fine shape.
Most heavily carved Victorian furniture has lost value over the past few years, but this one will attract the eye of a seasoned collector. It’s worth about $1,250, a bargain for such terrific quality.
Q This is my grandfather’s clock, which came to me with the following notes from my father: “ARNOLD, John d 1799. Clock (Mantle) Pendulum, Fusee, single bell strikes on the hour. (Rack system).” It includes a pull string at one side to chime the latest hour. It’s 30 cm high, 15 cm wide and 14 cm deep and the wooden case is veneered. On one winding this clock will run for at least eight days. Inscribed on its face are the words “ARNOLD 84 STRAND London.” The glass front door opens with a small key attached to the wind-up key. What can you tell me about it?
Michael, Toronto
A Your grandfather’s clock was made by one of England’s most distinguished clockmaking families, the Arnolds.
Three generations of Arnolds (confusingly, all named John) ran the family business until well into the 1800s, with the middle John being recognized by the Royal Family for his fine workmanship.
His reputation drew clientele for the business including naval officers and explorers, as Arnold timepieces were considered the most reliable.
Your clock was most likely made by the grandson (John III), sometime between 1800 and 1830.
The fusee movement allows for even timekeeping as the clock runs down, and the pull string is a repeater mechanism that always increases the value of a clock or watch.
The eye-catching burled wood and pagoda shape, plus the wellknown name and quality of this clock add up to a value around $2,500.
Q We have been told this cane is made of either the bones or the spinal column of a shark. My grandfather was a ship’s captain from Nova Scotia in the early 1900s. The cane is 89 cm long and is a little warped. I have no further information.
Jeannette, Dieppe, N.B.
A You’re right in both cases — these are likely the bones found in the spinal column of a shark, although similar items were made from the bones of large rays as well.
Each section is actually the centrum of a vertebra, and the likely maker, a seafarer on your captain’s ship, aligned them to form a pleasing design.
More strictly a walking stick — meant as a fashion accessory rather than an actual aid to walking — this will date to 1900 or possibly a bit earlier.
It makes sense for a sea captain to have had such a thing, and it’s nice to have the provenance recorded with the item. Such sticks are quite scarce, and are popular with walking stick/ cane collectors as well as the marine crowd.
I’d say it’s worth about $500.