Dining Table

In Ancient Egypt, the dining tables were small and low (at most for two participants, usually sitting on the ground) of a single-legged design that Romans would later call monopodium. Alternatively, similar tables were used to serve the food, while the meal participants were sitting in chairs nearby. Ancient Greeks slowly acquired, probably from further East, a habit of reclining on the couches during the meals. A small table, slightly lower than the couch, was placed next to it and intended for a single participant. A separate table on the side was used to hold the food for serving. For drinking at the symposia, mensa delphica tables were also used with the central stem splitting into…

A dining table consists of two main parts: the tabletop and the undercarriage (base). The base can be a central pedestal or, more commonly, a set of legs. The legs are often connected by rails or aprons for stability, and sometimes further reinforced by stretchers that connect the legs to each other. Tables can be classified by their construction: <gallery> Table and chairs.jpg|Non-extendable dining table and chairs Oval Drop-Leaf Dining Table with Ball-and Claw Feet LACMA M.2006.51.9.jpg|Drop-leaf table Gateleg Table, New England, 1715-1730, maple with tulip poplar - Chazen Museum of Art - DSC02603.JPG|Gateleg table half-folded 2008-04-13 Expandable table expanding.jpg|Butterfly extension…