Description:
This gate-leg table is made of mahoganized cherry with eastern white pine used as the secondary wood. Its features include an oval top, two drop leaves, and one drawer at each end. The table was made in the Deerfield area by an unknown maker, and has an additional connection to The Street—it was purportedly owned by Margaret Whiting (1860-1946), one of the founders of the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework.
Gate-leg tables were popular from the late 17th century through the first half of the 18th century. They were made in a wide range of sizes and many regional variations of the form evolved, mostly in variations in the style of turning and scale. The gate-leg drop-leaf table was the predominent form of table for dining during the first quarter of the 18th century. They were practical in design and when closed could occupy a narrow space or be placed against a wall. The center board is hinged (with replaced hinges) to allow the the rounded drop-leaves with rounded edges to swing out. The table is supported on eight vase-and-ring turned gate-leg supports and stretchers, which are tenoned and pinned--the two gatelegs pivot on the inside leg. When the table is closed, a square cutout in each gate leg allows it to fit evenly into the matching cutout in the stretcher.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2128 |
