Refectory table

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Illustration of a refectory table
Refectory tables in the refectory at the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal
A long refectory table at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California

A refectory table is a highly elongated

manufacture was by hand and created of oak or walnut; the design is based on a trestle style. Typically, the table legs are supported by circumferential stretchers
positioned very low to the floor.

History

In its original use, one or more refectory tables were placed within the

Italian and other craftsmen.[3] Adaptation of the refectory table outside the monasteries traveled to central and northern parts of Europe in the late 16th century. For example the Italian artist Giulio Romano traveled to France in the first half of the 16th century and brought concepts of the Italian style to the French court of Francis I. Later in the 16th century the secular refectory table spread to Flemish and German locales. While the Mediterranean refectory tables emphasized the use of walnut, oak
wood became equally common in these more northern parts of Europe.

Notable examples

Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, England has numerous areas of early furnishings including one room with original 17th-century furnishings including a refectory table and set of Charles II chairs.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Complete Guide to Furniture Styles By Louise Ade Boge
  2. ^ The Quarterly Review - Page 384 by William Gifford, George Walter Prothero, John Gibson Lockhart, John Murray, Whitwell Elwin, John Taylor Coleridge, Rowland Edmund Prothero Ernle, William Macpherson, William Smith - 1899
  3. ^ Miller's: Reference Edition, Mitchell Beazley and Judith Miller, Sterling Publishers, 2005
  4. ^ The Ordnance Survey Guide to Historic Houses in Britain, Peter Furtado, Great Britain Ordnance Survey, 1987