A gateleg table is a type of
furniture
Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...
first introduced in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in the 16th century. The tabletop has a fixed section and one or two hinged leaves, which, when not in use, fold down below the fixed section to hang vertically.
Description
Gateleg tables are a subset of the type known as a
dropleaf. The hinged section, or flap, was supported on pivoted legs joined at the top and bottom by
stretchers
A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...
constituting a gate. Large flaps had two supports, which had the advantage of providing freer leg space in the centre.
"Gateleg table"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' The earliest gateleg tables of the 16th and 17th century were typically made of oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
.
See also
*English furniture
English furniture has developed largely in line with styles in the rest of northern Europe, but has been interpreted in a distinctive fashion. There were significant regional differences in style, for example between the Northern England, North Cou ...
* Knole Settee
References
External links
Multifunctional Coffee Tables
16th century in England
English furniture
History of furniture
Tables (furniture)
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