Pembroke Table
c. 1790
Medium
Mahogany, white pine, brass, and iron
Dimensions
71.8 × 76.2 × 55.2 cm (28 1/4 × 30 × 22 1/8 in.)
Classification
table
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
212764
Art Historical Context
This elegant Pembroke table, crafted around 1790, exemplifies the refined furniture of early America during the Federal period. Made primarily from rich mahogany—a premium imported wood symbolizing prosperity and status—with secondary white pine, brass hardware, and iron supports, it measures a compact 71.8 × 76.2 × 55.2 cm. Its hallmark design features two hinged drop-leaves that fold down against a central pedestal base, allowing it to serve as a space-saving side table or expand into a convenient surface for tea, dining, or work. Such versatility made Pembroke tables immensely popular in gr...