Bidspirit auction | A Rare and Exceptional Regency

A Rare and Exceptional Regency Calamander Sofa Table, George Oakley (Attr) ca. 1810-1820. - This magnificent sofa table represents the absolute pinnacle of English Regency furniture design. It is fully veneered in highly figured calamander wood (Coromandel), a legendary and nearly extinct exotic timber from Ceylon, celebrated for its dramatic grain alternating between jet-black stripes and rich hazelnut tones. The rectangular top is flanked by two rounded drop-leaves, sitting above a frieze fitted with two drawers to one side and faux drawer fronts to the reverse, maintaining a seamless visual symmetry. The entire piece is elegantly articulated with delicate boxwood or citronnier stringing, emphasizing its clean, architectural lines. The table is supported by a substantial rectangular central pillar, resting on a quadform plinth base with sweeping, reeded sabre legs. It terminates in finely chased ormolu (gilt-bronze) lion's paw feet, retaining their original brass casters. The sophisticated use of rare timbers, geometric precision, and refined stringing allow a confident attribution to the preeminent London cabinetmaker George Oakley (1773-1840), who held a Royal Warrant and was highly renowned for his masterful use of calamander wood. Provenance : Acquired directly from the private apartment and personal collection of the renowned Montreal antique dealer, the late Phyllis Friedman. A prominent member of the Canadian Antique Dealers Association (CADA) and an expert for the Canadian Antiques Roadshow, her private collection was highly regarded as a benchmark of taste and connoisseurship in fine British furniture. Dimensions: Open table top 27.5 inches H x 59 w x 24 d. Closed dimension 27.5 inches h x 36w x 24d.