Peg Constructed Tavern Table?

I purchased this table at auction (in the midwest). It was advertised as a vintage table...looks older than that to me. Is it an old tavern table? It stands 25.5"H x 24.5"W x 19.25" D. It's completely constructed by pegs. Also, what type of wood is this? Maple? What style would you consider this to be? Queen Anne (even though it doesn't have feet)? Thank you for any help that's offered.

 

Depends on what you mean by "old", it's not period (18th century) if that's what you are asking. Guesses mid 20th century

Not really a style with this table, I would call it "Colonial" style splay leg table with an oval top.

The top looks like white pine, legs & aprons look like maple

 

No I would not call this Queen Anne style.
Looks more like Country Kitchen style, maybe from the 1920s, maybe earlier.
Looks like a dough board table to me ...

 

sniped by James who knows oh so much more than I ever will about wood furniture! Thanks, James!

 

Thank you for your help! I definitely didn't think 18th century but assumed older than mid-century. What should I be looking at to determine age?

 

I'd say they advertised it correctly, not really sure what vintage means but, it's less than 100 years old.

 

Vintage means 20 to 99 years old these days, although some things may be antique earlier. It's a "plop me in the house and use me" table.

 

pegged only without one piece of metal is very typically Swiss Alpine and adjacent territories since appr. 1600. the chairs are called Stabelle , which is also used for tables. best known are the tables and chairs from Grisons with schist tops. not unusual that damaged/broken/split table tops were replaced with what was around in simple wood.

do you have any Amish communities nearby ?

 

Thank you for your response; that's interesting! Yes, there are Amish communities nearby.

 

the Amish and Hutterites certainly brought over remnants of the old Alpine culture and techniques.
the furniture was pegged and held together with wooden dowels because they were disassembled for tavelling - in springtime up the mountains to the Maiensäss (may settlement) in higher valleys, where they lived and some still live with their kettle from may to september/october. there they also produce cheese.
for pegging and pushing in dowels you need a stone and not more.
some people also think that it has religious roots because it's "arrogance" and against God's nature to schlepp iron stuff up the mountains when God provides you with everything you need - possibly more due to practical reasons because even today you need two days by foot when you forgot your steel hammer, screws and bolts ...

as fit as a cow...

 

Very interesting! I'm familiar with Amish culture (although I definitely didn't know about the 'arrogance' views in regards to pegged furniture...very interesting!) but it never occurred to me to connect this table to it/that style. So, I thank you for taking your time to respond with some great information! It's much appreciated.

 

Is this one of those pieces that are constructed to look like antiques as a homage to early American pieces? I had one until you all disabused me of the notion that it was actually old.

 

I'd like to know the answer to that too lol.

 

yokel mathematickes lesson one: when you're living in the mountains then the table legs need an angle that is a hinderance to the table falling to one side and rolling downhill...

 

Top is definitely pine and I get the feeling that it is a replacement. In fact, the whole thing might be cobbled together using old legs. The way the pegs are used reinforces this idea or they are an attempt at repair. Any self respecting craftsperson would not llet the pegs extend out as seen on the underside.

 

Yes, I suspect this is a "home" shop type piece, modeled on Early American furniture, not meant to deceive.
The reason is, if you notice, look at the gaps in this photo of the mortise & tenon joinery, no way was this done at a factory or by a cabinetmaker, it's just not done this way at all.


Also, the pegs are round (machine-made dowels), too large for the legs (causing the leg itself to split), and are totally flush with the legs. None of this would be present in a period piece.

 

This little table was most likely built by uncle Joe in his home woodshop and, he had a HELL of a good time building it!

 

Here is an 18th-century walnut splay leg (like OP table) tea table built-in PA. If you notice the pegs ( called pins) they are protruding slightly as they should be from shrinkage after 300 years and they are not round at all, they were cut with a knife and are irregular as they should be.


Notice the pins, irregular & protruding slightly

Bottom of drawer, notice the hand-forged iron nails


Hard to see but there are zero gaps where the apron joins to the legs

 

Click to enlarge

 

Another reason for using dowels is that back when, metal bits were expensive but local wood was cheap. If you were a subsistence farmer, i.e. a cheapskate by necessity, which would you use?