English Victorian Maple & Co. Olive Vanity Dressing Table (Circa 1880)

This is an exhibition quality antique English Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre and central mirror, flanked by small cupboards and mirrored supports, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition. This Victorian dressing table was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London.

Summary:
• Item: Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table
• Circa: 1880
• Period: Victorian
• Retailer: Maple & Co. London
• Style: Aesthetic Movement
• Provenance: England, UK
• Wood: Olive Wood
• Classic Aesthetic movement styling
• Ornate shaped / floral carved pelmet
• Large hinged central bevelled mirror
• Small cupboards / mirrored supports
• Elaborate moulded & carved door panels
• Central bow-front chamfered drawer
• Three drawers either side
• Solid mahogany hand-dovetail drawer linings
• Original brass lever locks with working key
• Original top quality brass drawer handles
• Block shaped tapered legs
• Lower pot-board shelf
• Original backboards
• Original brass & ceramic castors
• Exhibition quality - fantastic superior materials & construction
• Original polish & patination
• Dismantles into 4 sections – easy access into rooms
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy

Description:
This is an exhibition quality antique English Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre and central mirror, flanked by small cupboards and mirrored supports, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition. This dressing table was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London.

The Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table, comprises several elaborate floral carved pelmets, displaying an ornate central urn, flanked by scroll & feather ends and aesthetic geometric mouldings.

The antique vanity table comprises a large hinged rectangular bevelled mirror, flanked by two impressive supports, including several shelves, with a small cupboard, decorated with a fine floral carved panel, on a punch work background, set within a moulded frame. The up-stand is secured to the Victorian dressing table base by several elegant turned supports,
with mirrored & moulded back panels.

Below the tabletop, the central section of the Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table comprises a large bow-front drawer, flanked by a bank of three drawers either side. The drawers are finished with chamfered drawer fronts and are constructed with solid mahogany hand-dovetail drawer linings. The doors and drawer fronts retain the original top-quality solid brass handles, brass lever locks and a working key.

Below the drawer line, the Victorian duchess dressing table is decorated with a shaped frieze and the whole unit stands on six block tapered legs, united by a large pot-board shelf, which terminates on the original brass & ceramic mug castors.

The Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table is raised on its original moulded plinth and retains its original backboards. The Victorian vanity table dismantles into four sections (central mirror, two back supports and base), allowing easy access up the staircase into the bedroom.

This Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table boasts exquisite grain configuration to the olive wood. The quality of the carvings is first class and the general construction of this armoire reflects the finest examples of Victorian craftmanship. It is also very rate to find such large items made from olive wood (it was usually small tables or boxes) as this was a very expensive material. This truly is an exhibition piece, used to demonstrate the finest quality of Maple & Co. furniture.

As the olive wood toilet table retains its original patination, it boasts a lovely warm mellow colour. This can only be achieved through age and the years of care and cleaning it has received.

This Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table is an excellent investment but also very practical for storage and would look superb in a variety of rooms, in either a traditional or contemporary setting. This large wardrobe would certainly grace any home. So don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.

History of Maple & Co. London:
Sir John Blundell Maple (1845-1903) was a furnishing storeowner, perhaps the most successful of all Victorian retail entrepreneurs. He achieved great wealth, became a politician, a horserace breeder and a member of the Prince of Wales’s set, and his emporium in 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, furnished everyone who was anyone in Victorian society.

Maple was born in 1845. His father, John Maple, had come from Horley, Surrey, where he had been apprenticed before opening a small shop there. John Maple senior moved to London, working first as a shop assistant, and then moving to Tottenham Court Road where he set up in business with James Cook. Within a few years the partnership had split and John Maple decided to run the business on his own. He began to succeed with what was at first a very small business, despite a fire and a building collapse. In fact, he was so successful that he was able to afford a good education for his son, John Blundell Maple (Blundell was his wife’s maiden name).

At the age of 16, John Blundell Maple joined his father’s business, which began to take off in ways never before imagined. John Blundell Maple had exceptional business skills and while still a young man was running the company. The British Empire was spreading round the world and Maples seized the opportunity – by the 1880s it was the largest furniture store on the planet. John Blundell Maple’s skills and vision were crucial and the moment was right for expansion.

Maples manufactured their own luxury furniture in a complex eventually so vast that by the 1880s it occupied an area where once stood 200 houses. They were timber importers, and exporters of furniture and fittings to all parts of the world. They used steam power and electricity, had a fleet of horse-drawn vans, depository and showrooms, and employed a vast workforce.

Maples’ market was the middle class and upwards – anyone anywhere who had money. They furnished palaces all over the world, including Tsar Nicholas’s Winter Palace, the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, all the great hotels, and town and country homes. Maples furnished all prestigious British embassies, even if it meant carrying a grand piano up the Khyber Pass on packhorses.

After the end of World War II and the change in tastes and the manufacturing cost factors, the decline started. In 1980 the furniture maker Warring & Gillow joined with Maple & Co., to become Maple, Waring & Gillow. It subsequently became part of Allied Maples Group Ltd, which includes Allied Carpets. In 1997 it went into administration and was taken over by the retailer Allders.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_%26_Co.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allders
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/making_history/makhist10_prog13b.shtml

Dimensions:
External Height (Including Mirror) = 188.5cm / 74¼” / 6ft 2¼”
Dressing Table Height (Excluding Mirror & Supports) = 78.5cm / 31¼” / 12⅜”
External Width = 137.1cm / 54” / 4ft 6”
External Depth (Including Handles) = 71cm / 28” / 2ft 4”
Knee Height = 59.5cm / 23⅜” / 1ft 11⅜”
Mirror Height (Glass) = 75cm / 29½” / 2ft 5½”
Mirror Width (Glass) = 55cm / 21⅝” / 1ft 9⅝”
Mirror Depth (Frame) = 4.5cm / 1¾”

Condition Report:
This is an exhibition quality antique English Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre and central mirror, flanked by small cupboards and mirrored supports, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition. This Victorian dressing table was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London. Nominal old use marks to the leading edges of the frame, but nothing significant considering its age. The Victorian vanity table has been cleaned and wax-polished by hand in our workshop to a professional standard. The doors and drawers all close comfortably. All the original drawer and door locks are present (including a working key) with the original brass handles and escutcheons. The Victorian dressing table retains the original bevel glass, which show minor signs of foxing is certain places. There are light surface scratches to the central hinged mirror – we can replace the mirror, for a new bevel mirror if preferred. All drawers run smoothly and closes flush to the frame. The Victorian dressing table is raised on its original legs, brass & ceramic castors and backboards. This Victorian dressing table is solid in joint and ready to use.

Price:
The price for this item is £7,950 which includes free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland* and free 14-day returns. The free delivery includes delivery to the ground floor. If the dressing table needs to be lifted upstairs, we ask that you provide lifting assistance at the point of delivery.

Customer Service:
We offer customer satisfaction through the following services:
• Free delivery to England, Wales & Southern Scotland*
• 14-Day free Returns
• Full money back assurance
• Worldwide shipping
• Full insurance of items in transit

Further Information:
For more information or photographs please contact us.

Free UK Delivery*:
We offer free delivery to mainland England, Wales, and Southern Scotland (anywhere south of Stirling). *We do not offer free delivery to locations north of Stirling in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or any British Islands off the mainland; for example, the Isle of Man, Isle of White and Channel Islands. If you live in one of the areas where we do not offer free delivery, please contact us for a delivery quote before purchasing the item. Delivery will be made by our specialised antique furniture delivery service, or in some cases we will use a courier service for distant deliveries.

Delivery times are usually 1-4 weeks depending on location; we aim to deliver the majority of items within 2 weeks. All items are professionally packaged and fully insured in transit; therefore, we can assure you, your items will be securely protected in transit and arrive safely with you.

Once you have purchased an item, we will contact you by email and/or telephone and provide you with a provisional delivery date, in order for you to confirm if it is suitable for you. Once you have confirmed you can accept delivery on the provisional delivery date, we will book the delivery in with our shippers and it then becomes a confirmed delivery date.

We will also provide you with our shippers' contact details, in case you need to contact the driver on the day of delivery. It's helpful if you can provide us with both the landline and mobile telephone number, in case the driver cannot reach you on one of the numbers on the day of delivery, they can contact you on your alternative number.

In order to be able to offer you free delivery, it is based on a 1-man delivery only. For any large items that require 2 people to lift the item, we ask that you are available at the time of delivery to be able to give our shipper a lift off the van and into your house with the item. If you are not able to lift items yourself, we ask that you have someone on hand at the time of delivery to assist our shipper with lifting the item.

14-Day Free UK Returns & Refunds:
A 14-day “no quibble” free returns policy (from the date you receive the item) is available if you are not happy with this item. We will collect the item free of charge from you (we do not charge a return fee / collection fee). You will be given a full refund as long as the item is returned in the same condition. We will collect returns using our own specialist furniture delivery company. We will not accept returns via a courier service (due to experience of damaged items in transit). This refund policy only applies to deliveries to the UK.

UK Buyer Payment:
For UK buyers, we accept cash on collection or delivery; cheque, credit card, BACS (free bank to bank transfer) or PayPal. Payment is requested within 5 days of the sale. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered.

International Buyers:
If you live outside the UK and you would like to purchase this item, please contact us before purchasing it, so that we can obtain an accurate shipping quote and delivery lead-time. The shipping quote provided is a global estimate only. The actual shipping cost will vary by country and postcode. Due to the distances and costs involved with shipping outside the UK, a returns policy is therefore not available for international buyers. Before placing your order(s) please make sure this is the item for you. We request payment by bank transfer (we do not accept payment via PayPal, credit or debit cards for international purchases). Payment is requested within 10 days of the purchase. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered to our shippers. The advertised price of the item does not include the shipping cost, sales tax, import duty or custom fees.

Important information regarding PayPal payment:
We only accept payment from fully verified PayPal account holders with confirmed addresses only. Items will only be sent to the confirmed address registered in PayPal. If you purchase an item and your address is not confirmed, your payment will be refunded and the purchase cancelled. It only takes a few moments to verify and confirm your PayPal details.

About the Seller:
This item is being sold by Yola Gray Antiques who is an accredited member of LAPADA (the UK’s largest Trade Association of Professional Art and Antique Dealers) and CINOA. CINOA is the world association of Art & Antique dealer associations. All LAPADA & CINOA members abide by their strict code of practice by adhering to reputable standards of quality, expertise and integrity.

Yola Gray has dealt in fine art and antique furniture for over 45 years. Yola Gray has a special interest in colonial furniture, specifically colonial four poster beds. Yola Gray also provides a variety of fine English antique furniture, art and fabrics to clients in the UK, Europe and further afield.

Ref. 108000

Condition report:

This is an exhibition quality antique English Victorian Maple & Co. dressing table constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre and central mirror, flanked by small cupboards and mirrored supports, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition. This Victorian dressing table was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London. Nominal old use marks to the leading edges of the frame, but nothing significant considering its age. The Victorian vanity table has been cleaned and wax-polished by hand in our workshop to a professional standard. The doors and drawers all close comfortably. All the original drawer and door locks are present (including a working key) with the original brass handles and escutcheons. The Victorian dressing table retains the original bevel glass, which show minor signs of foxing is certain places. There are light surface scratches to the central hinged mirror – we can replace the mirror, for a new bevel mirror if preferred. All drawers run smoothly and closes flush to the frame. The Victorian dressing table is raised on its original legs, brass & ceramic castors and backboards. This Victorian dressing table is solid in joint and ready to use.