Charles I Joined Oak and Elm Settle-Table

An exceptionally rare survival of a 17th-century oak and elm joined settle-table, combining seat and table in a single ingenious form. The panelled back rest, with moulded stiles and rails, folds forward on iron strap hinges to form the table surface, supported on the arms. The seat is framed by columnar baluster-turned front legs, joined by lower stretchers and a moulded upper rail, the front with three raised rectangular panels. The construction is robust yet elegant, with characteristic West Country proportions and excellent untouched surface patination.
This dual-purpose type is illustrated in period inventories and was already being celebrated by collectors by the early 20th century: this example was published in an advertisement for S.W. Wolsey, Apollo Magazine, November 1935 (inside front cover), attesting to its early importance in the trade. As Victor Chinnery has observed, few chair-tables survive in genuine state, making this a particularly desirable example.
Provenance: Illustrated in Apollo Magazine, November 1935, in an advertisement for S.W. Wolsey, London.