Antique Pedestal Dining Tables
When considering the pillar or pedestal dining table one immediately imagines the classic Regency pedestal tables made in the early 19^th Century during late George III period into George IV. However there have been many table formats that incorporating the pedestal bases which most commonly are formed with a turned stem which is supported by a sabre or cabriole formed legs. These pedestal bases were fist seen in the George II Chippendale period on wine tables, tea tables and breakfast tables with, at that time, most commonly cabriole pad foot bases and sometimes with an eagle or lions paw relief carved. During the Sheraton period the design became lighter with more square formed legs, often with boxwood line inlays and more geometric curvature.

For dining size the first that could be considered are the late 18^th Century/early 19^th Century rectangular breakfast tables which were all on pedestal bases with fine sabre legs, often reeded and terminating in brass toe casters. If a round breakfast table then usually three sabre legs and if rectangular then four. It is believed that this breakfast table format with pedestal base inspired the classic Regency period pedestal dining table that quite simply was formed from a number of tops on pedestal bases that could be joined with extension leaves suspended between. The period of the production as fashion for these tables was very brief as it coincided with the innovations of Gillows, Wilkinson, Pocock, etc. developing far more versatile extending systems. Therefore very few genuine Regency pedestal dining tables survive from the 1800 to 1825 period today.

During the late Regency and into William Iv period the pedestal base tables for both breakfast table and dining table formats evolved to a much heavier build design. The stems or pillar more so became columns in round, faceted and often with carved collets or ring work. These columns met platform bases, again of varying shapes which were supported on scroll or lions paw feet. Also the new runner system format of extending a dining table was incorporated with pedestal bases to form a hybrid format which on first look may be a breakfast table, often round, but could then extend with the runners, with the pedestal base fixed or splitting to form larger dining tables with the bases offering end support. Indeed this split pedestal base format continued into the late 19^th Century with, although rare, tables very much following the Gothic, Jacobean and Arts & Crafts in oak.

Alongside this adoption of the extending pedestal base tables in the late 19^th Century was a Regency revival of the classic mahogany pedestal dining table and this we consider to be due to the loss of the Colonies and shortage of mahogany. Quite simply the Regency pedestal table takes less timber than any other construction design so timber shortage somewhat dictated. Until the 1930’s pretty much all formal mahogany table commissioned followed the Regency Revival pedestal design.

Through the 20^th Century and to modern day, again due to shortage or trade embargo of mahogany, most pedestal dining tables follow the light build of the Regency design.pedestal bases with slender tops. The modern reproduction ‘style’ tables are veneered on to plywood and imported from factories in the Far East. Unfortunately, these reproduction tables have now infiltrated the antique market via companies claiming to be ‘antique dining table specialists’ who have flooded the market with Regency ‘style’ pedestal tables but list them in antique categories with misleading description of ‘in good condition’, etc. to catch unsuspecting buyers. All over Ebay you will see long listings of ‘Regency pedestal table’ from these companies and rarely will they state the word ‘reproduction’. Other clues to these fake tables are the inlays, walnut and oak veneer decoration which was never used historically. All antique pedestal design Regency dining tables are in solid mahogany with only the round centre piec breakast type tables using decorative veneer.