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Page 8 The Antique Shoppe August, 2019
pieces in daily life. They didn’t call them that of course but they had the same
COMMON SENSE characteristics as the refined English pieces. And the ability to “multi-function”
was based on daily need rather than parlor niceties.
ANTIQUES piece the “hutch table.” The chair table was what appeared to be a round or
One of the early harlequin pieces was the “chair table” and its companion

oval table with a square central base. But the tabletop pivoted on pins in the
By Fred Taylor back support to swing up and reveal a chair in the table base.
The hutch table opened to display cabinet storage below the top. This saved
HARLEQUIN FURNITURE precious space in a cramped colonial cabin. Both types are nicely illustrated in
Ralph and Terry Kovel’s 1965 book “American Country Furniture 1780-1875.”

No Clowning Around The normal Colonial style form of the chair table was made until the mid-19th
century but updated variations with upholstered seats and backs were made as
late the 1900.
In the late 18th century English furniture designers, having progressed Another piece of harlequin furniture made famous in the Colonies was the
from survival style furniture to more elegant designs, became intrigued with fold over games table. Built to look like a console table or a pier table, the two
“Harlequin” furniture. In the Middle Ages a harlequin was depicted as the court piece top cleverly folded over to expose a square game surface that could be
buffoon, dressed in garish colored outfits with a diamond pattern and a pointed rotated so that the entire top was supported on the base or it was supported
hat and shoes. While presumed to be slow and stupid the harlequin could show by a swing leg that swung out from the frame. Some versions even had a fifth
a surprising side and be exceptionally quick and agile with acrobatic moves. In leg for this purpose. The top also opened to reveal storage space for cards, chips
furniture design it came to denote a piece that was something other than what and game pieces. Another variation took the exercise a step further. The fold
it first appeared to be. over top extended on sliding supports concealed in the base to provide room
Thomas Sheraton, who achieved fame as the designer of much of the for as many as five or six leaves producing a dining room table concealed within
American Federal period, is credited with a number of harlequin or combination a console table. Clever, huh.
pieces. The most famous was what appeared to be a flat writing table with two But the real explosion in combination furniture occurred in America during
small end leaves. But when the leaves were extended a complete and complex the late 19th century and lasted to the middle of the 20th century and beds
set of pigeonholes rose from below the surface to present storage space for were the primary contributor.
the user. A Sheraton library table concealed a ladder to reach the top shelves. Cabinet beds exploded in popularity in the 1880s with such models as
Another designer equally obsessed with harlequin pieces was a contemporary the “Champion Automatic Folding Bedstead” made by Hale & Kilburn of
of Sheraton’s named Thomas Shearer. Philadelphia and a series of beds with geographical names like “Columbia
But long before the English designers came up with their harlequin A”, “Manhattan No. 5” and “New York” by M. Samuels & Co. of New York.
I
curiosities, American colonists of the 17th century were using real life harlequin 75 Continued >

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