TRESTLE TABLES

 

The Simplicity of  Trestle Tables

trestle /?tr?s(?)l/

Dating back to the Middle Ages and beyond, sturdy and simplistic trestle tables have been used to host a myriad of feasts for centuries.

These table are the oldest tables documented in the Western world.  Here you see the beginning of a feast and a trestle table in use.

Early versions of the trestle table at work in a kitchen

The trestle tables were generally constructed by laying wooden boards on trestle frames, which at the time were collapsible so they could be easily assembled and dismantled to make room for further ceremony like dancing  in the great halls of Medieval castles.

Even Shakespeare made mention of these portable trestle tables in Romeo and Juliet by writing:  “More lights, ye knaves, and turn the tables up.”

 Monasteries in the medieval times had a refectory, or a room for congregate group dining.  A very long trestle table was popular in these rooms and commonly became known as refectory tables. In the late middle ages, the refectory trestle table became the table preferred for banquets and feasts held in castles or high estates.  You can bet under this table cloth is the “trestle table”.

If you own one of these good looking tables you won’t be dismantling it to move it away.  It will stay in the dining room or in the foyer or wherever it lands to add beauty and function.

As cultures advanced across the globe, this engineered marvel was emerging, in the United States and abroad:  France, Spain, Italy and England.  The regional influences are seen depending on where the table originated.

This trestle table has the French and Spanish influence  – the Basque region is at the north of Spain, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and France. It is defined formally as an autonomous community of three provinces within Spain, and culturally including a fourth province and a part of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in France.  So you can understand why the visual interpretation of the table could go either way.  The influences for style flow back and forth over the borders.

This is the table that says, “the more the merrier”, and begs to be used for a hearty meal – especially one like our Thanksgiving meal.  It is a table that allows you to squeeze in as much seating as possible without the imposition of four separate legs –typically found on dining tables.

This table has more of the Italian influence and may be from where France forms the northwest border of Italy.

You can take full advantage of the structured shape of this style table by using a rustic long bench.

 This type seating accommodates the masses and is an option if you are planning to host large gatherings on a regular basis.  Otherwise, it can be beautifully paired with dining chairs.

This particular table can seat eight comfortably with no one person straddling a table leg!

The holidays are literally here!!  Thanksgiving is two weeks away!  IF you are in need of a dining table or a serving piece – we have so much in stock right now.  We Americans look forward to Thanksgiving.  But, bear in mind the French do not celebrate Thanksgiving — they just know that it is a holiday  when the Americans eat a lot of turkey.  

However, you can incorporate that European style into your Thanksgiving dinner by using a trestle table — Take a look at our trestle tables – If you see something you like – Call us.   AUBERGINE ANTIQUES 251-928-0902

https://www.crownandcolony.com

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Au Revoir!  A La Prochaine!!