Almost every week, I am asked to support someone’s Kickstarter program, and about 99 percent of them are lame, ill-advised or doomed for one reason or another.
This one is different.
Furniture maker J. Leko is seeking to recreate a 1750 Oeben mechanical table – a masterpiece of marquetry, French style and mechanical genius. Leko, a thoughtful and detail-oriented woodworker, seeks to reproduce this table to complete his Michael Fortune Fellowship at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking.
Leko is going way over the top with this project. He isn’t required to make this crazy-cool table to complete his fellowship, but I know that he is doing this because he is… how do I say this. Uncompromising.
In a good way.
I’ve personally pledged $100 to support his effort in building this table. And if you have any extra discretionary income, I hope you will consider helping him out as well. Even $1 helps.
You can read all the details of his Kickstarter program here.
— Christopher Schwarz
Thanks for sharing this. Incredible piece and what a challenge. I’m in for $125!
You can view the expanded table at Met Museum. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/120023107?img=0
Actually, you’ve found a similar table. According to Mr. Getty’s journal entry:
(http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/a-look-inside-j-paul-getty-newly-digitized-diaries/)
“There are about 15 in the world, about 5 in America.”
I currently know of similar Oeben tables in:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York,
- National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.,
- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal,
- Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and
- Musée du Louvre in Paris.
And this does not include those in private collections. You can see detailed pictures of this particular Getty table here:
http://search.getty.edu/museum/records/musobject?objectid=6117
Click on the “Related Media” tab at the bottom. What makes this table unique is the lower, side drawer. From the examples with which I am familiar, the sibling pieces feature shorter aprons with only the articulated drawer. No matter which one though, they’re all stunning!
This one looks more ornate. I wonder how many of these have been found and attributed to him.
Thanks for the post.
So when do we see your version as a traveling bench and tool chest combo?
(The narrator did say it was designed to be portable.)
Very cool piece of furniture. I love the genius of stuff like that.
The Met also has an exhibit of Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/roentgen which is full of this kind of thing. Absolutely fascinating. Springs and weights on pulleys are the primary motive forces to automatically open drawers and so forth. Amazing stuff!
If you can’t make it to the Met, the companion book to this is stunning. Both the history and photos. Worth every penny! Found mine on Amazon.
Woodworking vicariously – I’m in.
Hi Chris,
I’ll match your $100 gift.
Thanks…Tom Heiting
I’m trying to donate, but cannot get the “continue to next step” button to respond in any way. Anybody else having these issues?
Thanks a ton for the heads up, I’m #51.
I think Mr. Leko should make a commitment to auctioning the completed table for charity. I don’t see any mention of what is to happen to the table once the project is finished, and his fellowship attained.
In my philosophy, it is ok to ask for money as long as it ok to answer ‘no’.
So, I’m simply curious, do you see some sort of moral imperative to auction the final table?
Thanks!
Pfft, what’s all the hubbub about? Sewing tables are a dime a dozen at any garage sale!
kidding, of course.
I’ve seen the table at the Getty and I’ve met the woodworker.
The only question is do I want to contribute enough to get the coffe table book?
I have just watched 2 DVD’s of Larry williams on making and sharpening molding planes. Besides being a master craftsman, The information he shares is beyond belief. He has inspired me to deveop my skills to try something similar to something on the par of the table shown in this blog