Issue Five: Examination of an 18th-century Tea Table


We are announcing one Issue Five article each weekday until pre-orders open on August 1st. If you don’t already have a subscription and just wanted to order a copy of Issue Five by itself, you may do so on August 1st.

If you signed up for an auto-renewing yearly subscription last year, your card will be automatically charged exactly 365 days from your original purchase date. Any questions about your subscription status can be directed to info@mortiseandtenonmag.com.

 

In Issue Five, we will be featuring a photo essay examination of an 18th-century mahogany tea table that I purchased at an auction a while back. This examination is unique from our others in that the photos depict the sliding dovetail joint disassembled during conservation treatment. This is a rare opportunity to look at the minutia of how this joint was cut and fit – there are undercut and overcuts that tell a lot about how this craftsman was working.

Likely the product of an active shop, this table was skillfully made. The turnings are crisp, the carving is flawless, and the joinery was cut precisely. Whenever we get to see the work of competent craftsman up close, this gives us a frame of reference for standards of workmanship and appropriate techniques and we believe this close-up examination will prove to be illuminating to many of our readers.

- Joshua

The next Issue Five article announcement comes tomorrow…

 


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