Georgian Campaign Table

A mahogany portable table with good iron fittings.

The top of this table folds in half to reduce its size with the four legs folding individually to rest against the underside of the top. For travel it would probably have had a wooden or material case as there is no built-in system to prevent the folded parts from moving. Conversely, the iron work to the underside of the top is well considered in preventing movement when the table is set up.

Each leg has a long, shaped and stained pitch pine bracket, fixed by a pair of hinges to the underside of the top. Each bracket has a loper hinged to itself on a knuckle joint to fold out to a 90 degree angle. When the lopers are swung open they make a tight fit against a wedge glued to the underside of the top. With the legs held in place it remains for the two halves of the top to be fixed. The two boards that form the top are joined to each other by three special H shaped brass hinges. To compliment the hinges, the edges are cut with four mortice joints to one side and complimentary tenons to the other. These add strength and ensure the two boards line up to each other. One side has two iron swing bars to brace the two boards; the other has two iron fittings to receive them. The bars pass over a sprung wedge which is pushed down by its movement and springs back up when its passed over to lock it in place. To fold the table, the iron fittings have a button to depress the sprung wedges and release the bars. When not in used the bracing bars are held in place by a central iron clip. All these fittings are on plates inset and screwed to the underside of the top.

The table has a refined and subtle turned leg and the shaped brackets to each leg meet to give a serpentine rail on two sides. The top shows obvious signs of use with some large ring marks and a good variation in colour. The size is good for four people to dine at or for an officer to work at. Not many portable tables from this period have survived and this example stands out for the ingenuity of its iron fittings that make it practical and strong as well as its elegance. Circa 1800.

The Naval Chair is sold separately.