Daniels Antiques

An overview of antique sideboards and serving tables

In the 17th century, long serving pieces known as slab tables could be found in the kitchens of English homes. The earliest designs included marble tops for they were used in the preparation of the meal. This way food could be cut and prepared on its surface without damaging the wood underneath. They would have open cabinets below for easy access to serving implements.

Unlike cupboards, which were designed primarily for containing plates and cups, sideboards were intended to be used in the presentation of the food being served. Before food was served for royalty, it was first placed upon the sideboard to be tasted for poison, so as to provide truth or “credence” to what was being served. The term credenza originated from this practice.

Eventually the designs of these pieces would incorporate more elegant fixtures and finer woods, such as rosewood, mahogany, oak and walnut. Beautiful craftsmanship turned them into formal pieces for living rooms and parlors to showcase items of great value in fine English homes. They replaced the less sophisticated cupboards that had been favored previously in wealthy medieval halls.

In 1788 Hepplewhite’s Guide featured an illustration of a sideboard. This would be one of the earliest appearances of such a piece. The guide showcased the sideboard as having ample storage with its multiple compartments and drawers. In addition to being a fine serving piece, sideboards were used to store silver flatware and other serving items.

Near the end of the 18th century, fine craftsmanship and inlaid detail found in English sideboards led to their becoming a regular fixture in the finest American dining rooms.

Most antique sideboards that were made through the Georgian, Regency, William IV and Victorian periods all had designed into them cellaret drawers where liquid refreshments be it wine, ale or liquors could be housed. The likes of Sheraton, Chippendale and Hepplewhite all incorporated several designs of sideboard in their design books. Throughout the 18th, and 19th centuries the major English cabinet makers such as Gillows, Wright and Mansfield, Edwards and Roberts, Holland and Sons all took this basic design and elaborated on it's theme producing English made pieces that had the look of Irish, French, Italian and European antiques.

Daniels Antiques has some of the finest examples of this craftsmanship in our showroom. Duing the 19th century some of the finest examples of furniture that have ever been created were made to be exhibited. We are fortunate to own such an example that being :

A magnificent English antique sideboard made for "The Great Exhibition of 1851." A paper label on the underneath of the sideboard shows the piece to have been made by "Matthew Bland" of Halifax, England. This remarkable piece represents the very finest quality in 19th century cabinetmaking. There is a full history of the piece available.