DENVER, PENN. – A circa 1840 Shaker drop leaf sewing table was simply stunning at Morphy Auctions’ July 14-15 Fine and Decorative Arts sale, where it sold for $98,400 on a $10,000 estimate. The firm wrote that the piece was probably from the Hancock, Mass., community, with these forms often attributed to community elder David Terry. But a few idiosyncrasies led a few specialists to believe it may have been done in the boys’ workshop of the community.

The table came from a Pennsylvania collector who also provided other Shaker lots in the sale. Morphy specialist Kelly Kinzle said it was published in the 1950 book Shaker Furniture: The Craftsmanship of an American Communal Sect by Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews.

Kinzle said, “It was a rare table and it was good. The result was a real surprise to everybody, we’re happy with what it brought.”

The table was refinished and featured an unusual drawer configuration: one over a block with a central drawer flanked by side columns of two small drawers, all over one drawer. The firm noted that the shaped apron to the front and sides were rare. It had cherry legs and pulls, butternut panel sides and elements of pine and basswood.

The two-day auction grossed $3,200,000. A full sale review will appear in a future edition.