subject: Trestle Table Dining In Middle Ages Ways [print this page] Trestle Table Dining In Middle Ages Ways Trestle Table Dining In Middle Ages Ways
Early trestle table design was practical in construction and desirable because it was easy to disassemble and transport. It was and still is the perfect occasional table. With it's simple design, those seated do not have the inconvenience of four fixed legs at each corner of the table getting in one's way much like the design of a pedestal table.
The trestle tables built by the Amish are very well known for their craftsmanship and are a traditional Americana design of furniture often seen with spindle backed chairs. Amish wood craftsmen have kept the tradition alive and modern homeowners can acquire beautifully crafted pieces at affordable prices. It is the oldest American dining table and quite possibly the oldest design the world over. Shaker and Craftsman style furniture also employ this same design aesthetic.
In ancient Rome this style was made of stone or marble and was basically a pedestal-style table. By the Middle Ages the trestle table was often a few boards set on top of trestle legs making it collapsible and easily moved or stored.
The sawbuck design was a popular Gothic choice but usually found in New England tables because of its rustic and functional style. Another American version of this came from the Delaware Valley of Philadelphia where German-Swedish craftsman created highly decorated pieces.
Imagine the great halls of Europe, Henry the XVIII ripping into a leg of wild boar served at his massive trestle table. In castles of kings, in great halls of the wealthy between the 12th and 15th centuries these great tables served feasts. Diners would be seated on long benches or stools on one side of the table while the other was used for serving. This may be why earlier tables were narrower. After the feast the table could be dismantled and stored to one side of the great hall. Free standing pillars with cruciform feet for stability were used for support.
The Amish create their tables out of native woods like the early Mediterranean and Europeans. They like to use red oak, hickory, quarter-sawn white oak, walnut, cherry and maple. The modern Amish table is very versatile and is well-suited for seating a wide range of styles like formal dining chairs such as a Windsor or Mission slatted back to solid wood benches as were used in the Middle Ages.
The predecessor to the trestle table was called the table board and frame style, being a long plank of wood resting on a frame of several trestles also called horizontal beams. The legs were designed to be easily dismantled for storage and were very practical for travelling. The bridges of wood were pegged and braced to he tabletop.
Trestle designs were used by the military in the field, placed in wagons or used on ships. They were mentioned in writings by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC has a portrait of one in their collection showing it as one of the earliest examples as an art piece, an important piece of American history.
