Trestle Table Entertaining In Ancient 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.

During the Middle Ages the dormant table was a stationary trestle table covered with a carpet or a runner. In Medieval times monasteries had very long trestle tables in their refectory or group dining room and they later became known as refectory tables. In late Middle Ages this type of table was the preference for banquets and feasts held in castles and large estates. These tables were crafted from solid wood for royalty and noblemen. What a fine commission for a woodworker in those times.

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.

In the 16th century the basic trestle design was made more static and the gate-leg and refractory tables were created. With the ease of assembly and storage this design of table has been very popular to this day as those seated are not effected by the legs of a traditional table with fixed corner legs.

Today the trestle table can be seen in designs of outdoor furniture like picnic tables to handcrafted Amish dining tables. Americana is a well-known and loved traditional Amish style as are Shaker and Arts and Crafts Mission style. Like the table of the Middle Ages, the Mission style is braced together using a stretcher beam and keyed tenon through the center of every trestle.

These pillars were sometimes just plain and other times ornately decorated. Very few medieval tables exist today, but a fine example can be viewed in the Great Hall of Penshurst Place, Kent where a pair has been in existence since the 15th century. Something of this caliber, if you were lucky enough to find it, would be priceless.

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.

Get a gorgeous trestle table to your home. A gorgeous choice of any trestle tables would add a wonderful look to your dining area. Go online and find your table now.