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The £45,000 table
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| WHAT A BARGAIN: This John Makepeace-designed table is up for sale at £45,000 next month |
HOW much would you pay for a new dining table?
Next month this 12-seater table will go on sale for a staggering £45,000.
It is the work of top Beaminster-based craftsman John Makepeace and has even been labelled a bargain by one furniture expert.
Vault II is made from a single English ripple ash tree and is equal to the cost of two new Land Rovers. It will be on sale at the Alpha House gallery in Sherborne.
Auctioneer partner Richard Gold said: "John Makepeace is widely regarded as the Thomas Chippendale of his time.
"His work isn't a pastiche of Georgian or Victorian furniture, it's truly contemporary, a one-off, a true reflection of the age."
Mr Gold said the table would be an investment, even in an age of cheap Scandinavian imports.
He added: "In the long term a piece of furniture by John Makepeace such as Vault II will stand the test of time and will almost certainly gain value."
Mr Makepeace is arguably the most famous living furniture designer. He has had pieces displayed in locations around the world, including top British and American museums.
He said the table's concept, design detail, material and quality made it a worthy collector's item.
Mr Makepeace said: "When I started in the 1950s it was extremely difficult to survive as a designer-maker. I was told I would never make a living and advised to go into the furniture industry.
"Now the picture has changed completely. We've seen the rapid decline of volume furniture making in the UK and the rise of the bespoke contemporary furniture maker."
Vault II is part of an exhibition called Syzygy that showcases the work of a number of Mr Makepeace's former pupils as well as his own.
The exhibition will run from April 12 to May 10.
8:59am Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: graham, weymouth on 1:20pm Fri 28 Mar 08
"Next month this 12-seater table will go on sale for a staggering £45,000."
Presumably that will be on the first of next month!
"Next month this 12-seater table will go on sale for a staggering £45,000."
Presumably that will be on the first of next month!
Posted by: rob, weymouth on 2:41pm Fri 28 Mar 08
It looks like a ironing board!
It looks like a ironing board!
Posted by: dan, Dorchester on 5:12pm Fri 28 Mar 08
Big Ironing board? yes - but how is it treated so that it stays in one piece (maybe tied-in underneath )- but that surely would detract from its simplicity.
Maybe the cracks that will surely appear will become features of its ageing when it appears in the 2058 edition of the Antiques Roadshow.
None-the-less a local Dorset product that captures such a grand price tag is surely a statement that our County has a quality in its furniture output to match that of its farming and tourism products. ...now I have to get back to the ironing.
Big Ironing board? yes - but how is it treated so that it stays in one piece (maybe tied-in underneath )- but that surely would detract from its simplicity.
Maybe the cracks that will surely appear will become features of its ageing when it appears in the 2058 edition of the Antiques Roadshow.
None-the-less a local Dorset product that captures such a grand price tag is surely a statement that our County has a quality in its furniture output to match that of its farming and tourism products. ...now I have to get back to the ironing.
Posted by: Scolopax, Wyke Regis on 6:46pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Bother, I've just sold both my Land Rovers only to discover the Dining Room's not big enough.
Bother, I've just sold both my Land Rovers only to discover the Dining Room's not big enough.
Posted by: Scolopax, Wyke Regis on 6:46pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Bother, I've just sold both my Land Rovers only to discover the Dining Room's not big enough.
Bother, I've just sold both my Land Rovers only to discover the Dining Room's not big enough.
Posted by: Fishman68, Weymouth on 5:19pm Thu 3 Apr 08
Is it still April fools day? I would not pay £45 for that!
Im obviously in the wrong job!
Is it still April fools day? I would not pay £45 for that!
Im obviously in the wrong job!
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