Card Table
Datec. 1795 - 1810
MediumMahogany and mahogany veneer with interior woods of cypress inner frame, ash gate frame, and red cedar front frame core
Dimensionsclosed: 28 3/4 × 36 1/8 × 17 5/8 inches (73 × 91.8 × 44.8 cm)
Credit LineAttributed to the bequest of Mary Telfair.
Object number1875.102
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThis Hepplewhite style card table in mahogany and mahogany veneer has a serpentine front and squared, tapered legs. The presence of cypress and red cedar as secondary woods identify it as a product of the South, perhaps of Charleston or Savannah.
Originally part of the Telfair family's home furnishings, the table has been associated with Edward Telfair, once a revolutionary Liberty Boy and, later in life, Governor of Geogia.
Americans played Whist, Loo, Quadrille, and many other card games as early as the 17th century. As the moral disdain of card playing waned in the 18th century, the popularity of the leisurely pastime increased as did the manufacture of card tables. Many of these gaming tables, mostly constructed in the Northeast, were shipped throughout the country, including Savannah. Shipping manifests from 1789-1815 show Savannahians had a proclivity for the furniture form, which could be used for multiple purposes, including tea and pier tables. Sixteen card tables in the Telfair Museums’ collection corroborates this documentary evidence as many of the tables were originally owned by Savannah natives, including two owned by the Telfairs and a matching pair owned by the Owens family.
Text written for the exhibition Gaming Tables for Whist, Chess, and Other Amusements
April 18 - August 23, 2009.
