Chippendale Square Folding Card and Tea Tables
TABLES folding card and tea, square Chippendale
The fashion for taking tea and other refreshments such as chocolate undoubtedly led to more occasional use of folding side tables, some even being made in pairs, one with baize interior covering for games and one with a polished surface for use when entertaining. These latter are often referred to as tea tables although multipurpose use must have been frequent.
As in the last section we see the shape of the leg altered in sympathy with those of chairs. If you have read the chair section, it hardly needs to be pointed out that variations increased considerably during this period as did the decoration on fine examples. Rococo carving was back in fashion again and the solid, even grain of mahogany made it an ideal medium for the carver, who apart from a few acanthus leaves and some restrained husks and flowers, had been largely unemployed since the excesses of the Restoration.
A high quality mahogany Chippendale treatment with clustered column legs in the ‘Gothic taste’, carved edges and figured veneer on the frieze. The square bases to the legs are scooped underneath so that the fitted castors are not too prominent. Although not clearly discernible in this photograph, the edges of the table are decorated with two motifs, a simple four petal flower and a rounded oblong projection (cabochon) which are used alternately. A typical Chippendale style decoration.
This table also exhibits decorative treatment associated with Chippendale: bas-relief carving (or blind-fretting) in the `Chinese’ taste on all surfaces except the figured top. The castors are more prominent and the convex treatment of the frieze is perhaps a bit heavy. But then the table itself is very foursquare and lacks the grace of the earlier designs.
Notice that here too a number of standard devices are repeated to decorate the edge of the table. c. 1760
This is a much more restrained example with blind-fretting to the front edges of all four legs and fretting to the brackets. This piece looks lighter than the previous example because the insides of the legs are chamfered.
Carving appears on the top edges, the delicately gadrooned edge to the frieze, a pattern that last appeared in the early seventeenth century, and a beaded edge to the simple legs a nice touch, this. Note the lightening effect of chamfering on the square leg. The carving applied to the frieze is light and rococo. In this table the concertina action for moving the back legs to support the open top is clearly visible on a simple straight-leg mahogany table. Normally one associates this mechanism with earlier examples but, clearly, individual cabinet makers continued to please themselves. The top surface is decorated with an inlaid boxwood and ebony stringing line and star.
This is another good mahogany example with just a remnant of the candlestand in the shaping of the corners. The serpentine top is echoed in the shaped frieze. The legs are chamfered and moulded on the front surfaces. c.1770
A serpentine three-flap example of a games-and-tea table. The legs are moulded in typical Chippendale manner. Interestingly, the leg which moves out to support the table when open is slightly out of place. This suggests that the hinge on which the leg moves is probably loose. c. 1760
A Sheraton form of the highest quality, in satinwood with inlaid ‘fan’ decoration on the top and legs, which are of tapering square section with reeded and fluted front surfaces ending in spade feet. There is a crossbanding of kingwood on the top and the frieze. c.1790
Another late eighteenth century table, made in solid mahogany, with a concave moulded edge to the top. The legs are thicker and less finely tapered. c. 1795
Tags: card, chippendale style, eighteenth century table, folding side tables, mahogany Chippendale, Tables, Wood