Daniels Antiques

An overview of antique English center tables

The antique center table originated in the great mansions and stately homes of England in the 18th Century.  As the phrase says it was a table used in the center of a room, basically as a center piece.  In many cases the room in question would be an entrance room or hallway into a large home.  The antique center table really does not have a particular use other than being an important decorative object.  In some cases the table could be used as a way of displaying flowers or a piece of artwork.  When entering a home the center table was usually the first piece of antique furniture that would be seen, therefore setting a tone for the home!

An antique center table can be of several shapes, the most common being a circular center table, it is not unusual though to also find antique center tables being oval, elipse, rectangular or occasionally octagonal in shape.

The base of an antique center table is most commonly determined by the weight of the table top, for instance an antique center table made with a marble top would need a solid base to hold it up securely.  As far as antique center tables with wood tops go then a center pedestal attached to a plinth base or splayed legs is the most common.  Occasionally, an antique center table with a wood top will have a base of 4 or more legs often joined with wood stretchers.

As the antique center table has to fulfil a role as a focal point its design needed to stand out.  The most common design would involve the use of inlay work, this meant inlaying the table top in a variety of different woods in naturalistic or geometric designs, these ornate tops are very dramatic.  These profusely inlaid tops can be matched with carved bases thus creating a very decorative and eye catching piece of furniture.  On rare occasions a dark wood such as rosewood would be inlaid around the perimeter with a banding of brass, this type of antique center table was particularly carried out in the Regency period.

In England during the 19th Century a great many cabinet makers plied their trade in London where throughout the century people who were looking to furnish a "Great" home knew they would find something special.  Such makers as Gillows, Holland and Sons, Collinson and Locke, Seddon, Edwards and Roberts and Wright and Mansfield to name a few kept workshops in the capital.  It was often the case though that in a great Stately home workshops were located on the premises.

The antique center table became widely used from the Georgian period and continued through the Regency, William IV and Victorian periods.  Some superb examples were created for major International Exhibitions such as the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Hyde Park.  Such center tables that appeared at these exhibitions celebrated the skill of its market, as sample of such a table would exhibit a finely inlaid table top, with superb molded edges on a base with carved naturalistic shapes and often classical figure