Dining table - Walnut - Round turn with a clove hitch

Round table with sail top, Walnut - original England, second half of the 19th century - with a wind-up mechanism to position it "sail" and casters under the foot, which allow easy storage.
Top veneered in walnut burl as the under-table trim.
Central turned leg resting on three curved feet carved with volutes and shell-like scrolls.

Condition: excellent thanks to the meticulous care of the owner, periodically finished with shellac and alcohol.
No damage, no restoration, no alterations.
Dimensions (cm):
Height: 77
Diameter: 135
Pickup in northern Rome, ground floor, vehicle access possible.

The discreet - and unsustainable - charm of the "sail" table. From the end of the 18th century, the first models of this dining table appeared, whose top can be reclined vertically, hence the name "Sail". The aim is to take up less space and store it in a corner when not in use. The need arose in bourgeois city houses, which, although well-off, did not enjoy the unlimited spaces of aristocratic country residences. The new luxury of this social class had to reckon with space in Dickens's crowded London. The sail table thus became a fashion, even in homes that do not suffer from a lack of space, and it spread to the rest of Europe. The grains of ancient timbers, in this case walnut, continue to enchant, enhanced by the vertical orientation.
The need harmonizes with modern living, balancing practicality and a touch of class, then as now.