Changes

In the earliest written societies, Egypt and Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BCE, tables were utilized mostly to keep things from the floor or lift items off the floor. Stands, on the other hand, held food and drinks for people. Tables were created from stone, wood, or sometimes ceramic, although usually , these were smaller tables such as end tables. Tables were used for activities such as making crafts. However, tables Tables were not seen as a primary item for furniture in the home, temples, or palaces. This began to shift by the 2nd and 1st millennium BCEHowever, when tables began to appear more on palace reliefs. By thenwere often important for providing offerings in sacrifices, the where altars essentially resembled a type of table began that provided or served a sacrifice to replace stands as something that could hold items while one was seated. Tables also were now made of metal as well as more perishable materialsthe gods (Figure 1).

By the 2nd and 1st millennium BCE, tables began to appear more on palace reliefs. By then, the table began to replace stands as something that could hold items while one was seated. Tables also were now made of metal as well as more perishable materials.<ref>For more on early Egyptian and Mesopotamian tables, see: Smardzewski, J. (2015). <i>Furniture design.</i> Cham: Springer International Publishing : Imprint : Springer, pg. 5.</ref> In the 1st millennium BCE, the Greeks and later Romans also began to utilize tables as more prominent pieces of furniture for the home. Many scenes indicate dining and feasting occurring around tables rather than indicating that tables were a more prominent aspect of daily furniture. In effect, tables were linked with larger social gatherings as they became more prominent. The guéridon(Figure 2), a small rounded table we still use, became popular as a typical piece of furniture for homes. This took on decorative and perhaps even religious aspects, as they showed imagery of mythical beasts.  Romans also made more elaborate and decorated tables that were larger, where they now became more associated with wealth display in feasts and as prominent furniture in rich estates. Tables began to be associated with banqueting and elaborate feaststhat were held to show the wealth of households. Tables were seen as something that would accompany lounging or laying on couches. Chairs were not typically shown with tables.<ref>For more on Greek and Roman tables, see: Croom, A. (2007). <i>Roman furniture.</i> Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus.</ref>

[[File:Marble table from Pompeii.JPG|thumbnail|250px|left|Figure 2. A guéridon from Pompeii.]]In the early Medieval period, tables once again lost some of their prominence. Household furniture often did not emphasize large tables and multiple types of furniture, such as chests, would be substituted for tables as they were required. However, wealthy classes or individuals began creating long tables that they could put all or many guests on. Tables began to represent a type of social bonding that guests would come together around physically but also socially. Benches and chairs now began to be associated with long tables.  Thus, long tables in prominent halls became symbolic as of wealth and social status, where one can dine many guests at once as a way of showing social status and power.Desks were differentiated by this time from tables, where monks and others who worked with written documents required tables to have drawers or different designs to make writing and reading easier, such as a slightly angled table.<ref>For more on Medieval furniture in Europe, see: Diehl, D., & Donnelly, M. (1999). <i>Medieval furniture: plans and instructions for historical reproductions </i> (1st ed). Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books.</ref> One aspect of tables was they became ways in which social rank was displayed. Those from prominent families or status ate at the head of the table, sometimes on a raised dais, while others were further away from the raised part or front of the table. If anything, it was only later in the Medieval period that dining tables began to reduce in size again. This was seen, in part, due to the Black Death and declining larger gatherings held.  Uprisings and political instability, in part due to the schism between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century, led to smaller dining gatherings in general, as it was seen less beneficial to have too many large banquets as divisions emerged in society. This led to a reshaping of dining into more intimate type gatherings and smaller tables becoming more fashionable. Round dining tables also began to be seen as giving a more intimate gathering than traditional long dining tables.<ref>For more on dining around tables and rank in society, see: Weiss Adamson, M. (2010). <i>Food in medieval times.</i> Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Greenwood Press.</ref> <dh-ad/> In the Renaissance period, there was renewed interest in all things Classical. Tables were among the many types of items and furniture where they were created to resemble Roman or Greek-style ornate tables. Highly elaborate designs found in wealthy households from the Roman period began to be copied and reproduced. There were innovations though by the 17th century. As the urban elite and rich began to imitate Roman or Greek designs, the trestle table was a development of this period in the countryside. It was seen as a simple but elegant design for dining.<ref>For more on the trestle, see: Sparkes, I. G. (1980). <i>An illustrated history of English domestic furniture, 1100-1837: the age of the craftsman.</i> Bourne End [Eng.]: Spurbooks.</ref> In the 18th century, the idea of men drinking around tables after dinner led to more "masculine" style tables in Europe. As tables began to be associated with drinking and male social comradery, the social setting was reflected in the design of the period where decorative elements and thick tables resembled more masculine forms. Coffee and tea culture also began to become important in much of Europe and Britain. As these drinks often were consumed by themselves or with a small portion of snack or sweet, tables required tended to be small. However, it was uncomfortable to be seated low, so this gave the rise of high standing but narrow tables used in cafes throughout Europe.  In effect, it was a new form of the table used for the increasing role of coffee and tea houses as social gathering places. However, for the home, coffee tables did evolve to have shorter legs, as more people in the family were expected to gather around it, seating was lower such as on couches, and making the higher design less suitable for larger numbers of people.<ref>For more on socializing and tables, see: Koda, H., Bolton, A. (2006). <i>Dangerous liaisons: fashion and furniture in the eighteenth century</i>; [Exhibition “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from April 29 to September 6, 2004]. New Haven: Yale Univ. Press [u.a.].</ref>

One aspect ==Variations of tables was they became ways in which social rank was displayed. Those from prominent families or status ate at the head of the table, sometimes on a raised dais, while others were further way from the raised part or front of the table. If anything, it was only later in the Medieval period that dinning tables began to reduce in size again. This was seen, in part, due to the Black Death and declining larger gatherings held. Uprisings and political instability, in part due to split between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century, led to smaller dinning gatherings, as it was seen less beneficial to have too many large banquets. This led to a reshaping of dinning into more intimate type gatherings and smaller tables becoming more fashionable. Round dinning tables also began to be seen as giving a more intimate gathering.Designs==

In More activities within the Renaissance periodhome and at work led to new types of tables being designed. Console tables, there was renewed interest in pier tables, side tables, and hall tables were all things Classical. Tables variations of tables that were among put along the many types walls of items homes or larger buildings for activities ranging from eating, socializing, working, and furniture where they were created to resemble Roman or Greek style ornate drinking. Darker tables. Highly elaborate designs found in wealth households became more fashionable from the Roman period began to be copied 19th century, including the use of heavy woods such as rosewood and reproducedmahogany. There were innovations though Coffee tables, with shorter legs, became features of the home by the 17th 19th century. As It was also during the urban elite renaissance and rich began to imitate Roman or Greek designslater centuries that tables were used for different types of games, the trestle including chess billiards.<ref>For more on activities and table was a development of this period design, see: Cohen, M. F. (2005). <i>Professional domesticity in the countrysideVictorian novel: women, work, and home. It was seen as a simple but elegant design for dinning</i> Cambridge, U.K. ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

In the 18th mid to late 19th century, the idea of men drinking around tables after dinner led to more "masculine" style tables in Europe. As tables began to be associated with drinking simpler in design and male social commraderyless elaborate in general, as mass production increased, the social setting was reflected in the design leading to new concepts of faster construction of the period tables where decorative elements parts were pre-made and thick put together after being shipped to shops or furniture sellers. By 1890, Art Nouveau-style tables resembled more masculine forms. Coffee and tea culture also began to become important in much replace the more classical appearance of Europe and Britain. As these drinks often were consumed by themselves or with a small portion of snack or sweettables, tables required tended which helped to be smalldiminish their central importance in homes. However, it The table design was uncomfortable now seen to be seated low, so this gave inspired by influence outside of the Classics or the rise of high standing but narrow tables used in cafes throughout Europepast. In effectthe early 20th century, it there was more of a new form desire to remove the cluttered look of table used for Victorian-style homes in the increasing role of coffee UK and tea houses as social gathering places. Howeverelsewhere, leading to simpler designs for the home, coffee tables did evolve to have shorter legs, as and smaller tables.<ref>For more people on design and decor that became popular in the family were expected late 19th and 20th centuries, see: Binstead, H. E. (2007). <i>The furniture styles: Design from Elizabeth I to gather around it and making the higher design less suitable for larger numbers of peopleArt Nouveau.</i> JM Classic Editions.</ref>

==References==<references/>