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Think of a wedding and you can imagine the original primary function of
antique tables. Banquets were the main ceremonies of a wealthy
household and the dining room was the Great Hall. The high table was
for the guests of honor, including the owner of the home and his family.
Other members of the household, including some attendants, would sit at
side tables. The servants would eat and dine elsewhere. The early
trestle tables were designed to be taken apart and removed to make way
for dancing and entertainment. In the 1500s, draw-leaf tables were
designed to accommodate a changing number of diners, allowing the owner
to conserve space if there were fewer guests, or to quickly double the
table's size if more guests arrived. Rather than an added leaf, which
slightly increased the size, the original design was to support a large
tabletop laid over the drawn-back leaves. Refectory tables originated
in monasteries and often were ornately designed. Walnut and oak were
the early popular woods being both strong and durable. As the 1600s
progressed, tables became lighter with columned legs and many finished
with wood-turning techniques. As time went by, the great hall was
replaced by smaller dining rooms as the houses decreased in size to
accommodate a new middle class.
