Did you know that in Victorian times,
people were so repressed, that not only was the sight of a female ankle
considered scandalous, even the sight of table legs was considered unseemly and
indecorous! So it was that table legs were also required to be kept covered and
out of sight; they were legs after all!
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So what is the history of tables, and
in particular the dining table, that is usually the focal point of our dining
room furniture? It makes sense to find out, especially if you are
interested in purchasing an antique dining table.
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In was during the 16th century that the
table (derived from the Latin word tabula,
which means a board, a plank, or a flat piece), really came into its own, tough
dining tables and other kinds of tables
have been around for literally ages. In ancient times, tables were made from
different materials and in different designs from today: for instance the
Egyptians used wood or stone and their tables were fashioned like pedestals,
whereas the Assyrians used metal. Other ancient civilizations were also known
to use marble.
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As tables evolved, they became more
diversified as per their function and the dining table as such had its
provenance during the middle ages. The earliest kind of dining table is thought
to have been the trestle kind which could be taken apart when not in use. It
was during medieval times that the concept of eating together while assembled
at dining room tables originated. During
the Renaissance, in Spain and Italy, rectangular tables were designed with end supports
braced by stretchers; they often had an arcade of columns through the center. A
well known and notable example of the kinds of tables produced during the
Renaissance is the Farnese table of marble inlay, which is thought to be
attributed to Vignola. Then there are the tables of the Elizabethan Age which
were characterized by their rounded legs. Elizabethan tables also included the
draw table, a forerunner of the extension dining table. Later the concept of
gate leg tables also emerged and became popular; these tables had flaps that
could be folded down when not in use.
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There are several ways to tell a
genuine antique dining table so that you can be sure that what you are
purchasing is not a knock off being passed off as an original antique. For
instance, if a table is old and has been used for many, many years, the legs
would obviously have uneven wear and also the edges and corners of the table
ought to be rounded and smooth from years of use rather than angular and sharp.
If the legs of the table have been replaced at any point
, then that would lower
the value of a table so the wear and tear of the legs is a good indicator to
base your judgment on. ???Any rods or pins
in the table??s surfaces should stand out from the surface of a genuine antique
dining table because old wood will shrink with time making such rods and pins
(also known as dowels) stand out from the slightly shrunken wood.