Bermuda cedar furniture is highly prized whatever its age, but when it is over 300 years old and is gifted to the people of Bermuda as part of a permanent national collection, that makes it extremely special.

This week, the Bermuda National Gallery became the proud recipients of a Bermuda cedar dining table dating back centuries, thanks to the generosity of Dr. Melvin and Jane Alper, of Bethesda, Maryland, who are returning to the United States after spending more than 30 years in Bermuda.

The cedar, oval gateleg dining table, believed to have been built in Bermuda between 1690 and 1720, has been donated to the Bermuda National Gallery (BNG) through the Bermuda Fine Arts Foundation.

It is a rare example of Bermuda craftsmanship, and becomes the first donation of a major piece of Bermuda furniture to the Gallery?s Bermuda Collection. The table, measuring 29.75 by 53.75 by 63 inches, was originally bought by Dr. and Mrs. Alper at an auction some 15 years ago, and was previously shown in the BNG?s Fall 2000 ?Made in Bermuda? exhibition.

Dr. Alper said he and his wife have donated the valuable table as a ?Thank you? to the Island, and are dedicating it to the memory of their daughter, Susan, who died in 1978.

?We love Bermuda, and we have had 30 wonderful years here, and we wanted to give something back for all the enjoyment we?ve had,? Dr. Alper said. ?It is a beautiful table, and represents the fine workmanship of Bermuda in the 17th Century. The cedar is the national tree of Bermuda, and the table is very artistically done. The turnings are perfect for the period.?

On behalf of the BNG, director Laura Gorham expressed her appreciation for the couple?s outstanding gift. ?We are very grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Alper for their most generous donation ? the first of its kind for the Gallery. Most of the furniture pieces on display in our revolving show, ?The Bermuda Collection: 350 Years of Art in Bermuda?, are on loan, so this is indeed a valuable addition to our collection.

?It is particularly important as initially, art in Bermuda meant the decorative arts, such as silverware and furniture, rather than the traditional fine arts of painting, sculpture and drawing, which evolved later in Bermuda. Pieces such as this enable us to illustrate that the Island?s early craftsmen were indeed truly artists in their own right.?

This dining table, with paired baluster turnings on legs and stretchers and a shaped apron on two sides, reflects the evolving lifestyles of the 17th century home. The ?gateleg table? appeared in the mid 17th century. With the flexibility of being able to put the side leaves down, the table became portable and also served as a place for reading and writing.

The swinging leg is considered the ?gate?. The standard top was oval. Rectangular tops are usually replacements of the original tops. The heavy turned supports are a result of Jacobean influence (1600-1702) and are created by fastening the wood to a lathe and shaping the wood with cutting gouges ? a process that dates back to Roman times.

The Bermuda Fine Arts Foundation is a non-profit American Foundation formed to further the goals of the Bermuda National Gallery

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Visit the BNG website at: www.bermudanationalgallery.com