Dining table - Walnut - Round turn with a clove hitch

Round table with a sail mechanism, Walnut - original from England, late 19th century - with a key-driven mechanism to position it “a vela” and casters under the foot, allowing easy storage. Top veneered in walnut burl as the face layer. Central turned leg resting on three legs, elegantly shaped with volutes and scrolls ending in a shell.

Condition: excellent thanks to the meticulous care of the owner, periodically shellacked and cleaned with alcohol. No damages, No restoration, No alterations.

Dimensions (cm):
Height: 77
Diameter: 135

Pickup in northern Rome, ground floor, vehicle access possible.

The discreet—and almost elusive—charm of the “sail” table. From the late 18th century, the first models of this dining table appeared, whose top could be reclined vertically, hence the name “Sail.” The aim was to take up less space and store it in a corner when not in use. The need arose in urban bourgeois homes, which, though well-off, did not enjoy the unlimited spaces of aristocratic country residences. The new luxury of this social class had to contend with space in Dickens’s crowded London. The sail table thus became a fashion, even in homes that certainly did not suffer from space scarcity, and it spread to the rest of Europe. The grain of ancient woods, in this case walnut, continues to enchant, enhanced by its vertical stance.

The need harmonizes with today’s living, balancing practicality with a touch of class, now as then.