What counts as a metamorphic table?

Anything that changes function by mechanism. Extending, rising, folding, tilting or converting into a different piece of furniture altogether. In practice the listings here run from big dining tables that lengthen on a screw action to library steps that fold flat into a table, and a music stand that becomes a reading table.

Which wood turns up most often?

Mahogany, by a wide margin. It's named in 74 of the 119 titles, and figured mahogany in 25 of them. Oak, walnut, rosewood and satinwood share what's left. Rosewood tends to appear on the smaller reading and games tables rather than the dining pieces.

How old are these tables?

Dealer-supplied dates run from 1750 to 1930. The earliest is a George II architect's or draughtsman's table of metamorphic design. The bulk sit in the Georgian and Regency stretch, with George III named in 35 titles and Regency in 14. Victorian appears in 15.

Are metamorphic tables still made after 1900?

The archive says yes. A group of 1930s pieces includes an Art Deco cocktail table, a walnut card table, a marquetry games table and a serving trolley. There's an Edwardian showing too. These later pieces sit lower in the range than the Georgian dining tables.

How big do the dining tables get?

The largest recorded is a D-end dining table at 366cm long. Another is described simply as 14ft. Seating claims run to twelve and fourteen places, usually on multi-pillar bases with extra leaves.

Do many come from outside England?

Only a handful. An Irish George III library table, an Irish Victorian dining table, French walnut side and bed tables. A single 19th-century Syrian writing table is the one outlier origin in the whole archive.