Card Table

Tables were used for many purposes, including card playing and letter writing. When not in use, the tops were folded down and the tables were placed against the wall. Baltimore patrons and craftsmen favored tables with tops formed of two half-circle leaves. To support the top, the back left leg swings open, providing a resting place. Contemporary advertisements and inventories indicate that this type of table was usually sold in pairs to accommodate symmetrical furniture arrangements. Baltimore cabinetmakers were known for their elaborately inlaid designs of contrasting woods. Here, the table's mahogany apron is sectioned into panels by thin, linear inlays of light wood, while strings of bellflowers adorn the legs and a wavy line ornaments the table's top edge.