Pembroke Table

The small Pembroke table with two folding leaves supported by swinging rails was first introduced in England in the 1750s but only became popular in America after the Revolution.  Originally called a `breakfast table,' it was used in parlors for meals as well as for writing and reading.

This table exhibits neoclassical forms and decorative techniques commonly employed in New York, the most important center of cabinetmaking in early 19th-century America.  The oval top and tapering legs with vertical stringing, cuffs and pendant bellflower inlays provide a sense of delicacy and lightness.  The bellflowers and inlaid fan-like paterae were among the most popular decorative motifs in New York.