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1954-984, Tablecloth
Table Cover, Leather, Ham House
1954-984, Tablecloth

Table Cover, Leather, Ham House

DateLate 17th c. or early 18th c.
OriginEngland
MediumLeather
DimensionsL: 42"; W: 30"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1954-984
DescriptionThis is an oval-shaped cover for the top of a small table or stand. The cover is constructed of brown leather embossed with a symmetrical pattern of floral and foliate scrolls, and was apparently intended to be pulled over and tied on to the underside of the table top. The cover was originally bound around the edges with leather strips, most now separated and fragile. The embossed design is barely distinguishable from wear, and there are small tears in the leather.Label TextDuring the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries some elaborate wooden furniture was given protective covers to prevent damage from light and dust. This cover would have been used on a small oval table. It has a history of use at Ham House, a seventeenth-century historic house in Richmond, outside London, England.ProvenanceFormerly used at Ham House, near London, England.