Card Table
Datec. 1800 - 1815
MediumMahogany, mahogany veneer, cherry, poplar, white pine, and brass
DimensionsClosed: 30 7/8 × 36 3/8 × 18 1/2 inches (78.4 × 92.4 × 47 cm)
Credit LineAttributed to the bequest of Mary Telfair.
Object number1875.103
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 mahogany card table has a folding, swivel top with canted corners. The frieze with brass trim is raised on two pairs of balusters turned and carved on columnar supports and resting on a pedestal base, raised on four paw feet, which retain their original paint. The acanthus leaf decoration on the legs is gilded.
The table may be one of the two card tables listed in the inventory of furnishings made after Alexander Telfair's death in 1832. It retains much of its original finish.
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.
