Illus. 241.—Dutch Table, 1720-1740.
Illustration [243] shows a mahogany table with claw-and-ball feet owned by the writer. The top measures four feet four inches across, and its date is about 1750. The double coaster upon wheels, filled with violets, was made to hold decanters of wine, and one can imagine these wheels rattling down the mahogany table as the evening grew late and the decanters empty.
Illus. 242.—Dutch Card-table, 1730-1740.
As early as 1676 stands are spoken of in inventories, and during the eighteenth century they were a common article of furniture. The tops were square, oval, or round, and the base consisted of a pillar with three spreading feet. Illustration [244] shows the early foot used for these stands, about 1740. This table is owned by Miss Mary Coates of Philadelphia, and the silver pieces upon it are heirlooms in her family.
These stands came to be known as “Dutch Tea-Tables,” and the bases were often elaborately carved. The tops of the handsomest tables were carved out of a thick piece of wood, so as to leave a rim, to keep the china from sliding off. This carved rim was in different forms, the finest being what is now called “pie-crust,” with an ogee scallop. The plain rim is now known as the “dish-top.” Illustration [245] shows a pie-crust table owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq.
Illus. 243.—Claw-and-ball-foot Table, about 1750.
Illus. 244.—Dutch Stand,
about 1740.