A superb English Regency period centre table, attributed to George Oakley,
London, circa 1810.
 
Why we like it
A magnificent statement piece, subtly embellished with most elegant brass inlays and gilt brass mounts.
 
This superb table shares stylistic elements as well as identical mounts, with a number of pieces traditionally associated with the London cabinetmaker George Oakley. Several tables featuring identical star-inlays to the tops were supplied to Charles Madryll Cheere at Papworth Hall in 1810, a primary commission of Oakley's career, from which a number of other examples are known. A card table supplied for Papworth Hall, similarly inlaid with brass stars and ebony, is illustrated in R.Edwards, ed., The Dictionary of English Furniture, vol. III, Woodbridge, 1954, p. 202, fig. 42. A library table (previously in our collection) firmly attributed to George Oakley had a set of almost identical acanthus ormolu mounts.
 
Fine antique condition, pleasing golden colour.
 
George Oakley (1773–1840)
The firm of George Oakley produced stylish furniture in the Grecian taste during the decades spanning the turn of the 19th century, and was one of the pioneers of ‘Buhl’ inlay, a form of decoration that regained popularity during the early years of the Regency. Fashionable and exotic timbers were often used in Oakley's furniture, combined with inlays of brass stars and bands of metalwork. The high class furniture made by George Oakley earned him a royal appointment and a contemporary reputation for fine craftsmanship.