Featured Ebony Table

I'm new on here so first of all hello. I pretty much go for anything if it's old and interesting, especially if it's unusual.

I recently bought this on eBay and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about where it might be from. I thought maybe African? It's turned and carved ebony and it has two panels which go in it to make it into something like a coffee table. Not even sure if it's old, but would love to know a bit more about it.

Thanks
Oli

 

Hi,
Just when I think I have seen everything there is to see. This pops up and blows my mind.
greg

 

Interesting piece, no idea?

 

I have no idea on age,but decoratively speaking,that is AMAZING ! Please can we see it with the panels on ?

 

I'm still thinking of how much time it took to make this.
It's cool but I don't know anything about it.

 

So it is as unusual as i thought then... Perhaps it's just a weird and wonderful one off..? Carribean? Indian? Alien?

I'll get some pics up with the panels on. It came with some ugly green pitted glass ones which deffinitely weren't original. I've replaced them with some tinted acrylic ones and it look great.

The labour that must have been involved in making it and the quality of finish was something that struck me too. Possibly an apprentice piece?

 

WOW!!!!! And WELCOME, Oliver!!!! Always fun to see a mind-twister on the site!!!! But someone will come along I'm betting to either identify it or at least point you in the right direction!!! Not that I've ever seen one, but I'd call that a "puzzle table"!! Love to see it with the two panels! There are many minds and eyes here from all over the world who love a challenge at identifying whatever you have to show!!!! ALSO, when loading your images, the very top one says "ALL IMAGES - FULL SIZE"......click THAT one, once they're loaded small, and then they will all appear LARGE!!! Thanks!!! MUCH EASIER on older eyes!!! Images should be NO LARGER than 1 MB.....480 x 640 is a good general size. You can go back and click on the FULL SIZE image too!!! Have fun!!! We do!

Oh, Any way you can UN-busy the background too????

 

Thanks for the warm welcome I've always bought antiques but never really got involved in the community at all, so nice to finally.

I'll get a better photo up tomorrow with the panels on and with a more plain background..

Hopefully like you say someone will have some insight on it..

 

Have not seen one like it. Would have to guess Africa but that is all I have.

 

Hello Oliver, welcome.
A stunning piece, hopefully the panels will tell us more.
I think you have to look in the direction of India and Sri Lanka.
It looks like Indo-dutch colonial ebony furniture, which was made principally in Sri Lanka.

 

Oh brilliant, thankyou. I'll do some research in that direction then. Funnily enough my Dad said it looked Indian and he has no antiques/furniture knowledge at all so i took it with a pinch of salt
I'll take a photo of the panels which came with it if you like. One broke on its way to me so i cant use them anyway which is unfortunate if they were originals..

 

I'm sorry, did you give the size? If so I missed it. You mentioned coffee table.
If you think it is a coffee table, then that puts it after WWII.
Coffee tables were not around before then.

 

Do post the panel photos - it may be worth while to have it repaired.

 

You surprise me, I have a ca. 1920 Amsterdam School coffee table tucked away somewhere in my basement. The Amsterdam School was from 1910-1930, and the table is also on 1920s pictures of my grandparents livingroom.

 

I guess you don't belive in wormholes Any Jewelry!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhole

 

I think the size is 780mms by about 560mm sq so it's perfect coffee table size. The seller said he thought it could have been a games table?? Other than simply for ornamentation I'm wondering what the large ash tray type things might be on the corners.

 

Ah yes, those wormholes!

Here it mentions coffee tables as a development in the late Victorian era:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_table
It also mentions low tables in different Asian cultures. These were not coffee tables as such, but an Asian table could have been made for an Asian purpose.

 

I was wondering about those as well. It obviously has something to do with the purpose of the table. For drinks? Bottles? Vases? Candles? Oil lamps?

 

I think I'm missing something... So where do the panels sit on top. I assumed they rested on top of those cylindrical things on each corner (I'm assuming that's what Oliver thought might be a large ash tray).