Pin Top Table
Period1750 - 1770
MediumTulip poplar and hard pine
Dimensions29.25 × 40.75 × 32 in. (74.3 × 103.5 × 81.3 cm)
ClassificationsTables and Stands
Credit LineGift of William C. Riker, 1971
Object number1990.614
DescriptionA sturdy work table made up of a broad two-part board top with a pair of cleats dovetailed to its underside, and fitting on either side of the table's frame. The deep frame features a single drawer with a turned wooden pull and a narrow applied molding along the skirt's bottom edge. Four thickly turned and tapered legs end in pad feet with a flattened ball beneath them. The table retains an early dark red stain.Curatorial RemarksIn an unusual Pennsylvania German construction feature, the cleats on the underside of the top are slid into long dovetails from the back edge. They stop just short of the front edge so that it does not show. The purpose of the cleats was to keep the top from warping. Pins are then inserted through the cleats into the side rails of the table to keep the top in place.
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