Late XVIII Century Tables

18th Century tables, although not described as such in Chippendale’s Director, were a new type of table. During the first half of the 18th century, people tended to sit at small tables to eat, arranged in groups in a dedicated eating room.
Around the 1750s, people began to eat at longer tables. Quite often, these consisted of a central, rectangular gateleg table to which two D-ends were joined to make one long piece. When not assembled as such, the D-ends might be used as pier tables.
For the most part, these dining tables were plain, with either square or tapering legs. This began to change from around 1780, when tables were often supported by pedestals.
Early examples of dining tables, such as those supplied by Chippendale in 1770, had half-round ends and deep, rectangular drop leaves. These were supported, when raised, on gate legs and secured using stirrup clips.
Table legs were influenced by Neoclassical style and became more slender and tapering in shape as the century progressed.
As the passion for games and gambling now pervaded every level of society, large numbers of games tables
were made, particularly in England and the American colonies, and these gained popularity in Europe towards the end of the century.
Many games tables had a top that folded back to reveal a baize-lined surface or an inlaid games board, and one or two legs that swung back to support the open top. When not in use, the table would usually be stored
against the wall, so the side facing the wall was generally left undecorated.
Pembroke tables were multi-purpose, and could be used for dining, games, or as worktables, depending on the occasion. Being small and on casters, they could be moved around a room as required.
Like other occasional tables, Pembroke tables were usually highly decorative. Those made of satinwood or mahogany were often inlaid with Neoclassical designs, although painted decoration was also popular.
Marquetry remained fashionable throughout the period.
Dressing tables were often designed like deep tables with drawers. These usually featured ingenious mechanical fittings such as dressing mirrors that rose and fell in slots.
The escutcheons and handles are made of brass.
Carved acanthus adorns the knees of the table.
ENGLISH GAMES TABLE
Made from mahogany, this games table has a rectangular top that folds back to reveal a baize-lined playing surface. The concave corners hold counters.
c.1760.
The protruding, square corners are also functional, as their concave insides hold counters.
Metal hinges hold the two top sections together.
The rear legs do not have claw-and-ball feet. as the table was not designed to be seen from all sides.
ENGLISH CARD TABLE
This mahogany, D-shaped card table has a fold-over top and baize-lined interior. It is veneered with satinwood banding, with ebony and boxwood string inlay. c.1785.
ENGLISH PEMBROKE TABLE
This small mahogany table is intricately inlaid with various woods, including harewood, a veneer from the sycamore tree that is stained to produce a brown-green colour similar to khaki. c.1780.
SCANDINAVIAN TABLES
ade of satin birchwood, each table has a demi-lune top placed at an angle on a frae above three square-section, tapered legs. The D-shape or demi lunge is often associated with card tables that were designed to be placed
against a wall when not in use. However, these tables are more likely to have been used as side tables because they are too tall to sit at. c.1790. W87cm(34%in). L&T 3
SWEDISH PIER TABLE
This table is made of painted and gilded softwood, with a faux-marble top and plinth. Gilt balls top each turned, tapered leg, below which are carved and gilded acanthus leaves and gilt supports.
FRENCH TABLE
Made of mahogany, this rectangular table has a single frieze drawer. The square, tapering legs have brass terminals and casters, which allowed the occasional table to be moved easily. c.1785.
ENGLISH FOLD-OVER TEA TABLE
This mahogany tea table is made in the French Hepplewhite style. The serpentine top has a moulded edge and rests on a serpentine frieze, which is raised on cabriole legs. The legs are carved at the top of the knees
with stylized anthemia. c.1770.
ITALIAN PIER TABLE
This imposing table has a rectangular faux-marble top. The frame is painted and decorated with applied gilt scrolls and rosettes. The circular, tapered legs are also painted. Gilding is applied to the concave sections of
the stop-fluted legs. c. 1780.
ENGLISH DRUM TABLE
This table has an inset-leather surface, four frieze drawers, one of which is fitted with an adjustable writing slope, and four dummy drawers. The table revolves on a turned central column, which is set above four inlaid sabre legs with brass lion’s paw casters. c.1800.
DUTCH OCCASIONAL TABLE
The top of this demilune-shaped piece is decorated with an inlaid urn surrounded by crossbanding. Tambour doors slide sideways to open. It stands on three square-section, tapering legs decorated with boxwood and ebony stringing. c.1790.
FRENCH DROP-LEAF DINING TABLE
This Cuban mahogany table has a rounded, rectangular top with two D-shaped leaves. It has a plain frieze and six squared, tapered legs with brass caps and casters. The legs move out to support the open leaves and
additional leaves. Signed Jean-Antoine Brunel. c.1795.
SWEDISH CARD TABLE
This demi-lune-shaped table has a frieze and squared legs. It is very similar to an English card table, apart from the two legs, which are awkwardly bunched together. One of them swings back to support the top when opened. c.1780.
ENGLISH OVAL TABLE
This is one of a pair of French-style tables decorated with marquetry and parquetry. The oval top has a central panel with an inlaid spray of flowers and ribbons and the frieze has a floral inlay. The table has capriole legs. c.1785.
ENGLISH PIER TABLE
The top of this demi-line table is inlaid with satinwood, rosewood, ebony, and boxwood. The marquetry features a fan, echoing the shape of the table. Inlaid paterae are inserted at the tops of the square, tapering legs, which terminate in spade feet. c.1790.
SWISS GAMES TABLE
This walnut and cherrywood table has a heavy, hinged, fold-over top, with rounded corners and a brown, gilt-leather inner surface. The shaped table skirt is carved and the capriole legs are carved at the knees and
tips. The rear leg swings back to support the open top. c.1780.

Occasional Tables

In the 18th century occasional tables became more varied in style. They were small and light, and so could be moved into reception rooms as required. Many of these tables were highly
decorative, but gradually they became more utilitarian and were often designed for specific purposes.
A passion for games and gambling resulted in a proliferation of card tables. By the end of the century, French card tables were fitted for every sort of game: roulette, chess, backgammon, and jeu de l`oie.
A wide variety of writing tables was developed. The larger, portable tables made for writing were called tables d ecrirc. Some were fitted with candle slides that pulled out from the sides.
The newly fashionable custom of gathering to drink tea and coffee required two or even three tables: one table with a gallery around the edge, on which to place the china; a round table at which people sat and
conversed; and a kettle stand. In the grandest homes, the kettle stand had a silver salver shaped to fit the top, with a silver coffee- or tea-pot on top of it.
Worktables first appeared in the second half of the 18th century. Those made for sewing often had tops that lifted up to reveal small drawers for holding reels of thread and other sewing accessories. Some sewing tables had fabric bags hanging beneath them, in which the needlework was kept. These were made from wooden frames covered with fabric that slid into runners in the base of the frames. French sewing tables, tables en chiffoniere, did not usually have these. Some English worktables were also fitted with a leather surface for writing.
The French table de salon, meaning sitting room table”, served many purposes. It had an ormolu gallery around the top, with three drawers and a shelf below The intricate decoration meant it was elegant enough for formal reception rooms.
Many portable tables contained a fire screen, often made of the finest textiles or displaying needlework
displaying skills. The screen protected the face and legs of anyone sitting in front of a fire, and was particularly important for ladies who wished to protect their
wax-based cosmetics from melting.
The cabriole legs are gently curved.
The legs terminate in foliate ormolu sabots.
The tambour front slides back to reveal six small, ring-handled drawers.
The top is inlaid with flowers and has protruding; rounded corners.
The frieze is inlaid to simulate fluting. It has a single front drawer.
The sides are inlaid with crossbanded borders wit, geometric banding and Neoclassical decoration
ENGLISH WORKTABLE
This transitional-style worktable has an inlaid top above a single drawer. The table has a tambour front and an incurved shelf, and terminates in cabriole legs. c.1770.
FRENCH TABLE DE SALON
This satinwood and holly table has a pierced ormolu gallery. The case, three drawers, and shelf are ornately inlaid. The tapering legs end in ormolu sabots. c.1780.
ITALIAN FIRE SCREEN TABLE
The entire surface of this olivewood table is veneered. It has a serpentine skirt and slender cabriole legs. The silk-lined fire screen moves up and down at the back of the table. c.1780.
ENGLISH WRITING TABLE
This one-drawer, mahogany table has a leather-inset top. A silk-upholstered, adjustable face screen is fitted at the back. It has square, tapering legs with brass casters. c.1790.
FRENCH WORKTABLE
This diagonally veneered, single-drawer table has a cambered top and cabriole legs. It has a drawer in the mid-shelf, and a fire screen at the back. c.1760.
ENGLISH KETTLE STAND
This small mahogany stand has a circular top with a brass-lined spindle gallery. The fluted column has a leaf-carved baluster knob above a tripod base, with claw-and-ball feet. c.1760
FRENCH SEWING TABLE
This table has a marble top surrounded by a pierced three-quarter gallery. The parquetry-veneered case contains two drawers. It has a shaped frame, lower shelf, cabriole legs, and ormolu feet. c.1765.
BONHEURS-DU-JOUR
A SMALL, FEMININE WRITING TABLE FOR LADIES, THE BONHEUR-DU-JOUR WAS FIRST MADE IN FRANCE IN THE 1760s. ITS NAME REFERS TO THE FACT THAT SUCH PIECES SOON BECAME EXTREMELY POPULAR.
The bonheur-du-jour (”pleasure of the day ) is a small, light, elegant desk or dressing table. It is different from other writing tables in that it has a raised back, like a miniature cabinet, made up of shelves, drawers, or pigeonholes designed to hold papers, writing accessories, and sometimes toiletries. Occasionally,
a mirror was also included. The top of the table is usually surrounded by a brass or gilded gallery which often served for displaying small ornaments. Beneath it are drawers, or a small cupboard. These sometimes have tambour doors that slide into the case – another example of the technical skill of the cabinetmaker. The table invariably has long, graceful, slender legs, occasionally with a shelf attached to them about halfway down.
The bon lieu r-du jour was made by many of the famous French cabinet-makers, such as Martin Carlin, who designed 11 of them. The most exquisite examples, such as Carlin, were mounted with plaques of Sevres
porcelain and painted with delicate floral patterns, or richly decorated with fine marquetry, Oriental lacquer panels, and ormolu
jour were valued both for their delicate beauty and for the skill and ingenuity with which hidden drawers and compartments were concealed within such a small space. Originating in France, their popularity soon spread,
partly due to the increased importance of women in society at this time. They appeared in grand British houses from about 1770 onwards.
Louis XVI mahogany bonheur-du-jour This desk has a marble top and a brass three-quarter gallery, with a glazed upper section and a roll-top desk element.
Louis XV cherrywood honheur-du-jour The
upper section has two doors, and the lower section holds a long, single drawer. The case is set on cabriole legs.
GERMAN DRESSING TABLE
This solid cherry table from southern Germany has a wide, overhanging top above two small drawers. It stands on tall, tapering legs. Late 18th century.
FRENCH WRITING TABLE
The table top has a gilt-bronze-edged frieze and is inlaid with flower-heads and a ribbon border. The drawer is fitted with a sliding writing surface, inkwell, pounce-pot, and pen tray. c.1780.
FRENCH WRITING TABLE
The top is inlaid with lozenges and a central floral cartouche. The frieze has a geometric inlay and a drawer. Each side has a pull-out writing slide. c.1780.
GERMAN GAMES TABLE
This provincial walnut, cherry, and native fruitwood table top is supported on tapered legs. The surface is inlaid with a chess board; the interior is fitted for back-gammon. c.1780.
ENGLISH WORKTABLE
This satinwood table has contrasting ebony stringing, an inset leather top, and two candle slides. The case has a fitted drawer over a wool box and is supported on square, tapered legs. c.1785.
FRENCH OCCASIONAL TABLE
This sycamore, kingwood, and floral marquetry table has a Sevres-style plaque in the top. It has a pierced brass gallery and mounts, three drawers, and a lower shelf. c. 1780.

Early 18th Century Tables

Changing social customs at the beginning of the 18th century created a need for many new types of table. The fashion for entertaining small groups of people led to a demand for light, portable tables that could be arranged wherever required. Specific tables were made for playing cards, taking tea, and writing letters.
The card table was primarily a British innovation. In the early part of the 18th century the card table was basically a square table with a hinged top that folded back. The rear leg swung back to support the open top. As card tables were stored against the wall, only the front skirt and legs were carved. The top often had hollowed-out corners for holding cards, chips, or candlesticks.
Writing tables were often fitted with a velvet or leather writing surface. Lady’s writing tables were small, with a sloping top and a drawer for storing writing materials. These tables could also be used for embroidery or needlepoint. Men’s writing tables, which were known in France as bureaux plats, were larger and had flat tops and a storage drawer.
Both console tables and pier tables were created as part of the design for an integrated interior. A console table usually had supports at the front only, because the back was attached to a wall. Pier tables were also designed to be positioned against the wall, but these were usually smaller, and had four legs. Traditionally, they stood between two windows or doors, and often had matching mirrors, known as pier glasses, above them. Both types of table were often elaborately decorated with carving and gilt, and had decorative marble tops, but the designs were generally lighter than the Baroque style favoured in the 17th century and they incorporated the asymmetric, natural motifs of the Rococo style.
Pedestal tables were columnar and had three splayed legs. The style of the tabletops varied. These tables were often used in dining rooms as tea tables for holding china and crockery
Tripod candlestands generally had small, rounded tops. Larger tripod tables were often called tea tables, and the finest examples had scalloped tops with moulded edges, and elaborately carved columns and feet.
FRENCH REGENCE TABLE
This table is made of ebony with brass inlays. It has a serpentine bronze-framed top above three drawers at the front and blind drawers at the back. The piece is decorated with ormolu and sabot mounts, and has cabriole legs. c.1720.
The top is covered with inset gold leather.
The corners and sides are decorated with ormolu masks.
The legs are cabriole shaped.
Ormolu mounts in the shape of animal hooves protect the feet.
SWISS CONSOLE TABLE
This gilt table, probably made in Bern, has a marble top above a carved, pierced frame with Rococo scrolls, foliage, and asymmetrical shells. The apron and stretcher are both carved with an asymmetrical cartouche. c.1765.
GERMAN PIER TABLE
This small pier table displays both Rococo and Neoclassical elements. The top is made of marble and sits above a frieze, decorated with a stylized Greek key motif. It is supported by four carved, scrolled legs. c.1760.
GERMAN OAK TABLE
This imposing oak table is made in the Franconian Baroque style. It is veneered in walnut and the shaped top is inlaid with damson, cherrywood, and maple wood in a geometric marquetry pattern within a crossbanded surround. A shallow frieze,
which is also crossbanded, leads into carved cabriole legs with scroll feet. The legs are joined by flat, shaped stretchers. The piece terminates in ball feet. 18th century.
ENGLISH SIDE TABLE
This small, vernacular side table is made of oak and fruitwood. It has one narrow frieze drawer above an undulating, shaped apron. The table stands on turned, slightly tapering legs, and terminates in pad feet. c.1750.
SICILIAN SIDE TABLE
This table is made of gilded pine with a marble top. The frieze is faced with glass panels painted on the underside to simulate blue-grey onyx. Neoclassical symbols, such as egg and dart, bay leaf mouldings, and lion’s masks, provide decoration. The tapered legs have acanthus plumes and are faced with glass panels. 18th century.
GILTWOOD SIDE TABLE
This French Regence side table is heavily carved and covered with gilt. The top is made of rosso antico marble. The frieze and cabriole legs are elaborately decorated with carvings of pierced foliage surmounted by nymphs’ heads. The table was bought by an English gentleman for his country house. c.1725.
GILTWOOD SIDE TABLE
This marble-topped giltwood table, which may be of German origin, has an ornately carved frieze and apron, which are enlivened with Rococo flames and swags of flowers on each side. The cabriole legs have carved knees decorated with large, bearded masks. 18th century.
ENGLISH TEA TABLE
This George II tea table has a mechanical concertina action, which means that when the two-part hinged tabletop is open, it reveals compartments for holding games. The piece stands on cabriole legs and terminates in claw-and-ball feet. c.1750.
GERMAN TABLE
This simple table, which has one small drawer underneath an inlaid floral marquetry top, is decorated with more marquetry over the shaped frieze and cabriole legs. It is small enough to move easily, and would have fulfilled many uses.
LOUIS XV WRITING TABLE
This small French writing table has a raised, pierced brass edge around the top. The sides and feet are decorated with ormolu mounts. The escutcheons are asymmetrical in typical Rococo style. c.1750.
AMERICAN TEA TABLE
This vernacular table is made of painted maple. The rectangular top has a moulded edge projecting over a shaped skirt with a drawer. The corners of the frieze continue into sharp edges down the cabriole legs, which lead into pad feet. c.1740.
Tilt-top tables had three parts: the top, a “birdcage” mechanism that enabled the top to tilt and revolve, and a columnar support with a tripod base. The top folded flat, so that the table could be stored against a wall.
The top had a lip around the edge, to protect items on the table, such as valuable porcelain cups. The birdcage, named after its appearance, was used in England but was more popular in America. An iron catch was fitted to the underside of the top and birdcage, to lock the top in place. The column was anchored to the birdcage with a removable wedge. The various parts of the table were purchased from different craftsmen, then assembled by a cabinet-maker.
Tilt-top tables from Philadelphia arc considered the best examples of colonial cabinet-making. The finest ones are made of solid mahogany, which makes it difficult to distinguish them from English examples.
TILT-TOP TABLES
Detail of mechanism
Philadelphia tilt-top tea table This fine table has a birdcage support, a scalloped edge, a tripod base, and claw-and-ball feet. The top is made from a single piece of figured mahogany.