This 19th century Indian carved padouk wood table (FS18/863) is typical of a lot of furniture made in the time of Empire.
A 19th Century Indian carved padouk wood table (FS18/863)
Its design follows closely that of many a Victorian breakfast or centre table with a circular top, shaped pedestal and platform, but there the similarity ends. The first clue to its rather more exotic origin is the wood from which it is made: The Padouk tree is most commonly found in Africa (although versions do also occur in Burma and elsewhere). Its timber resembles rosewood, to which it is related, but the figuring in somewhat coarser. It is a very dense wood, which gives great weight and physical presence to pieces made from it. Beyond the material is the fact of the rather carving, which is rather more intense than you would normally find on an English piece. The quality of this piece will attract a lot of interest and bids of £1,000 to £1,500 are expected when it is offered as part of the furniture auction in our Fine Art Sale on 25th April 2013 at the Okehampton Street Saleroom in Exeter.
