What is a Pembroke table?

A small table with a fixed centre section and two short hinged leaves, usually carrying a frieze drawer. It's the most common named form under this heading, at 227 of 1,391 titles. The samples include pedestal, baby, oval, spider-leg and satinwood versions, and 75 titles read specifically as mahogany Pembroke.

Which wood is most common?

Mahogany, and by a wide margin. It names 675 of 1,391 titles. Oak follows at 227, walnut at 117 and rosewood at 102. The oak tends to be gateleg and country work, while walnut is strongly associated with Sutherland tables.

How old are these tables?

The dated field spans 1700 to 1960, though only 387 listings carry a clean year. The rest are given by period label. By count, the biggest groups are 19th Century, Georgian, Regency and 18th Century, then Victorian and the 1800s, with 1920s, Edwardian and 1900s behind them. The 17th century is the smallest group at 35 listings, nearly all oak gatelegs.

Are drop leaf dining tables big enough to seat guests?

Seating is quoted in titles from four up to twelve. Four and six seaters are the ordinary run; eight and above sit at the upper end of the sampled range. One oak wake table is offered as a 10/12 seater, the largest capacity stated in the archive. D-end, folding and refectory forms also appear under the dining heading.

What's the difference between a Sutherland and a Pembroke?

A Sutherland has a narrow top with two deep leaves, so it closes down almost flat and stands against a wall. A Pembroke has a wider fixed centre and two short leaves. Sutherland accounts for 106 titles, often in walnut or burr walnut. Pembroke runs to 227, most often mahogany. Both are smaller, specialised versions of the same folding principle.

Do these tables ever come in pairs?

More often than you'd expect for a folding table. Matched pairs of Pembroke, sofa and side tables account for several of the highest-priced sampled entries, including a pair of Regency sofa tables near the very top. Around 159 come to market a year on Sellingantiques, listed by 236 separate dealers over time.

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Antique Drop Leaf Tables

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A table whose top is extended by one or two hinged flaps, made so a large surface could be folded down and stood against the wall in a room used for more than one thing.