Hi Danielle,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

During the French King Louis XV's lifetime (1723–1774), design aesthetics, often called Rococo, appealed to patrons because it represented a dramatic shift away from the grandeur and rigid formality of the reign of Louis XIV. Instead of emphasizing power and ceremony, Louis XV design celebrated comfort, elegance, intimacy, and pleasure. Furniture became lighter, more practical, and more comfortable. Chairs were designed to accommodate conversation rather than court ceremony, with curved backs and upholstered seats. Cabinetmakers embraced flowing, asymmetrical forms. Cabriole legs, serpentine fronts, and scrolling ornament gave furniture a sense of movement and vitality.

The aesthetic was revived in the late 19th and early 20th Century as part of the larger revivalist movements, when many wealthy Europeans and Americans associated 18th-century France with sophistication, refinement, and artistic excellence. Owning Louis XV-style furnishings conveyed culture and status. Combined with technological advancements, international exhibitions and growing museum collections, the Louis XV aesthetic could be more produced in a greater scale and more affordably.

Occasional tables - sometimes called side tables or lamp tables - served a variety of purposes and would have been equally at home in living rooms, parlors, hallways and bedrooms.

While this table doesn't bear a label or other markings to identify the maker, the use of bookmatched burled walnut veneers in the top adds to the overall visual success of this table.

Similar tables have been selling at auction recently for between $300 and $500 and I would expect this table to perform similarly if offered for sale by a reputable auction house with online reach and global exposure. Note that retailers - whether dealers or private sellers - are currently asking more in the "primary" marketplace, typically between $800 and $1,500.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Louis XV style carved and veneered walnut occasional table
unattributed maker, early 20th Century
Of oval section with shaped molded edged top over a pierced and foliate carved skirt centering cartouches at each side, raised on tall cabriole legs with acanthus carving and joined by an arched X-stretcher, formerly fitted with casters.
Height: 29 inches; width: 32 inches; depth: 22 inches
CONDITION: This table appears to be in good condition.
PROVENANCE: acquired from a gallery or dealer
$300-500*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia