‘Spider Leg’ Table
Description
With a rectangular solid mahogany top and four legs joined by stretchers, these four lightweight, delicate tables were designed to be easily carried around to be used wherever convenient. Each of the four examples in the Bust Room are unique, though at first glance are very similar. They were probably produced by different cabinetmakers in the Chippendale firm, hence their slight variations of design. Whilst they are displayed in the corners of the Bust Room, they were originally designed to be used in the Adam-designed part of the House, as the Regency extension had not yet been constructed.
These four tables were conserved in the autumn of 2022 as they all had issues with stability and loose and/or missing frame supports. They had also suffered from past damage from stains or knocks. Eight of the glue-block supports on the underside of this table top were found to be detached from one surface and therefore no longer supporting the table top. These eight blocks were therefore removed, and the glue joint surfaces carefully cleaned using hot water. There were also poor-quality pine replacements for two corner-blocks and one glue-block and a further missing glue-block. Using a piece of matching old mahogany replacements were made for the later pine replacements and the one missing block.
Old repairs / joins at the top of the turned section of the replacement oak leg and the square section block at the top of the leg and at the same position between the turned section and square section block of the front leg on the same side of the table were found to be loose and wobbly. The block at the top of the replacement leg was also fractured. These joints were eased apart and the glue joint surfaces of each carefully cleaned with hot water. The fracture in the top block of the replacement leg was first repaired using fish glue and clamped, then when this had fully set, the old joins in the two legs were re-glued using fish glue and clamped in place until the glue had set. A small split at the end of the replacement birch stretcher rail was also glued and clamped at the same time.