Evening star., 1942-08-01
Butterfly Table Called
Most American Of
All Furniture Types
Cobinetmoker Greeted
;. Something orieinoI.
Not q Modification

). Something orioinoI.
Not q Modification
Recently Alice winchester, editor
Il Antiques, published . very con-
dse monograph On the craftsman-
dhip of New England. In 1t she
mentioned some Of the ''inventions'
of New England cabinetmakers,
tpiners and turner's. And quite
rightly one Of the types Of furniture
he mentioned was the butterfly
tAble. Somehow or other no group
of collectors has waxed romantic
over this type Of table which, to my
mind, is the loveliest bit Of folk fur
fiiture ever devised. This Is not to
ny butterfly tables are going beg
eng for owners. They are quite
searce-rare in fact-and they COM
yhand quite . sizable price when
offered for sale. But they are one
tfpe Of folding table that looks well
'bpen," whereas its nearest relative,
the gate-leg, looks best closed. Which
dan also be said Of the four legged
Queen Anne, Chippendale, Hepple-
White and Sheraton tables with two
leaves. They are beautiful closed.
Open, well It's = matter Of quick.
Martha, the damask, and cover 1t.
1t least down to the knees!
Just when the butterfly table was
Arst evolved, and by whom. u buried
N the unwritten annals Of New
fngland cabinetmaking. Certainly
= must have been close to the turn
4f the 18th century, somewhere be-
tween 1000 and ITO. Most old
Examples are now dated 1700-l725.
Qats-lsg tables were then being
made generally throughout New
England, Pennsylvania and Virginia,
daeh Colony providing its own con-
tktbution In terms Of types Of turning
4n the legs and the kind Of wood
Used. Maple, with maple and some-
times With pine tops, characterises
the New England types. Very often
they were stained red with butterhut
dtain. Pennsylvania used its native
walnut and sometimes cherry. Vir-
iinia preferred mahogany. We
Have noted several Virginia tables
With slender turntngs, deeply cut at
he little balls above and below the
vase section, marks Of the Eliza
Sethan or Tudor types then being
lhade In England. Many American
tables had what is known as the W"
1pint or tongue and groove, rather
than the standard table leaf joint.
Many Englsh tables, on the other
band, had no "joint" at Ill. the edge
of top and leaf just came together
without benefit Of joint. Which Is
10 say there was-or At least In the
examples that have come down to
us-there Is . space" through
which table crumbs can fall. (An-
ether reason for using the clothD
In rsproducing the gate-leg tables
ct Enghnd the early American cabi-,
netmaker Was recreating repro
dueing In welI-defined pattern.
He could make his turnings to suit
his fancy. He could use any wood
other than English oak, but he was
following tradition.
In creating the butterfly table the
American 4cahinetmaker created
semsthing beautiful. useful and de-
nehtful and he did 1t AL out
oe his own head'f It Is more orig
inal than the American Windsor
chair, more American" than the
screaming eagles Of AcIntire and
pfyfe. And there Is quite . neat
little Job Of turning and joining In
every butterfly worthy, the name.
Consider flrst that the legs are al
-raked" that Is they are set at
IN angle which permits OF . solid
base when both leaves are up or only
one is used. The wings, from which
the table derives Its very appropriate
name, folds nat, in recess in the
top, permitting the leaves to fall nat
against the legs. It is . small, al
most tiny table when folded. When
open 1t is the perfect setting for tea
/. or cocktails or buttered rum
for two.
And this, too, Is important: There
ire no legs to get In the way Of your
9wn when seated at the sides Of .
Dutterfiy table. The wings Of the
table behave Is they should, With
gate-kgs its Z different matter. The
legs are always In the way -. un-
less you have . double gate-leg such
as is here pictured and which will
seat three with comfort on either
side. That Is, with plenty Of leg
room.
So much for the mechanics and
the beauty Of these tables. His
tortcally they persisted as types
from before 100 to about 1900. AL
our Revolutionary heroes knew
them ate and drank at them
.. and perhaps played at dice and
other denominations" Certainly
many important documents were
written on the leaves OF such tables.
And today important documents"
in the way Of good checks or fold
ing money Al eAAAOle &IIlOult0 2Ic
required to make an owner part
With q butterfly or gateleg table
How much3 Well. it's 4 poor gate
leg that isn't worth 500. A fine
one Is worth $500. A double gate
well, name your own price
Somebody will pay it.
AS to the butterfly type I am
sorry to say $3.50 is cheap" Sorry
because I would invest in then,
myself il I found any under thai
figure. Ny one regret is that I die
not buy them instead Of gate-leeI
when buying was good. Have yoy
one Of these tables In your homei
II you have the wherewithal 20,
can build . whole room around 1t
And II you haven't you can sell you,
table and furnish . whole room Will
the proceeds!
pRE.ennWlna