'Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table'

As You Like It (Act II, Scene 7)

Hosting was one of Shakespeare’s main responsibilities as a gentleman. This table is an example of the kind of furniture used for dining. Its large legs were shaped by a technique called turning before a carved decoration was applied. The top of the table was known as the ‘board’ and below it is a decorative frieze. The table would have been positioned so that the pattern on the frieze was visible to those entering the room. The table top is plain but its surface would have been covered by a finely woven carpet which was then removed during mealtimes. The table’s carved decoration and colourful textiles would have made a striking impression on guests. 

In the medieval period most tables did not come as fixed objects but could be dismantled into separate parts. Tables became more fixed and elaborately decorated as rooms evolved and dining habits shifted. Joined frames, like the example seen here, replaced medieval trestles tables. These long tables played a key role in the all-important gentry obligation of hosting. They were most likely to have been found in reception rooms such as the parlour or great chamber. This sort of table would have been an essential tool in Shakespeare’s performance of status.