Antique Dining Tables: The French example According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "antique" refers to "an object such as a piece of furniture that is old and often valuable.
" In other words, the object is cherished despite its unfashionable nature.
In this case, it has not waned in quality due to its longevity.
Therefore, the condition of being out of vogue does not affect its acceptability and use to enrich lives in different ways.
"Antique dining tables" are those dining tables collected from antiquity.
These are dining tables that were used centuries ago, but have remained till date.
Some of these tables look so awkward and cumbersome unlike the fashionable ones predominant nowadays.
They are relatively heavy and large.
It is relevant to know that those known as trestle table which was in vogue for the most of the Middle Ages survived destruction.
The top of those tables were the products of woods, that is, planks which were made to rest on trestles.
When need called for other interesting activities, spaces were created by dismantling those tables which were subsequently removed to the hall side.
Antique dining tables that are home to France were found during the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
These antique French tables are categorized into Refectory, Trestle and Harvest tables.
The most popular and oldest of the antique French dining tables are the Refectory tables which existed as early as the sixteenth century.
These tables were mostly seen in monasteries during French's medieval period.
The name "Refectory tables" became known because these tables were placed in refectories where monks usually eat their food.
Other factors that contributed to their popularity are their profound sturdy design and physical nature.
Oak, walnut or mahogany is usually the hard wood, the raw material for these tables.
They were mostly designed to match the hardwood antique doors in French homes.
It is, therefore, not surprising that after centuries of usage, those authentic antique Refectory tables still retain their beauty and newness nowadays.
Their usual designs are various joined wood parts with beveled legs supporting a flat top.
Refectory tables were introduced as advancements of trestle tables.
Comparably, the Trestle tables are smaller variety of the Refectory tables and have the capacity to accommodate up to four to six people.
Their design is such that they have simple tops, supported by bevel legs.
With all pieces made of the same wood, these tables usually come with chairs or benches.
On the other hand, the Harvest tables slightly differ from the two varieties of the French antique dining tables mentioned earlier.
The difference is made possible by the presence of two or more drawers which are usually along the longer sides.
With this uniqueness, they become ideal as multipurpose objects.
This is because they not only serve as tables, but also as desks.
With these designs that include four separate straight elegant legs, harvest tables have inspired modern day dining tables in most homes.
In recent days, most "antique dining tables" are being traded not because of their beauty, attractiveness or indispensability, but due to their peculiarities and awesome values.
In some cases, their prices are relatively high compared to those ones in vogue today.
On the other hand, most conservative families prefer to keep their own as a precious heirloom.
To them they are such august properties that do not worth disposing.
The museums also are home to such aged objects.
Those who have no money or interest in purchasing them could as well have access to them as tourists.
Finally, there is no gainsaying that these tables are valued today going by the way they are traded, displayed, and kept secured in its strictest sense.
Mostly constructed with hard woods like mahogany, they have withstood various harsh weather conditions, though some could not stand the test of time.
It is in the interest of History and posterity that these objects should remain preserved.
Written by John Ndubueze.
May 2011.