A Decorated 16th Century Serving Table
Rhiannon de la Meadue du Lue
What
I have done today is try to reproduce a decorated serving table found in the
primary source Il Trinciante by Cervio Vincenzo of 1593[1].
I did not reproduce the decorations exactly because of conflicting pictures
of this table of which I explain below. I had the table built to my
specifications, smaller than what it looked to be in the pictures for two
reasons:
1. I had the table made so it would fit easily in the car. Travel was a consideration.
2. I am a short person and wanted the height
to be comfortable for me.
I
chose to use silk flowers, which I have found to be period in several books,
for their lasting quality for I knew it would take at least several weeks to
construct this table since I was doing the decorating alone. I estimate that
eight persons were needed to construct this table on site where the table was
to be used and with the limited time to work on it. I also decided not to put as many flowers and fruits on the table
because the cost was becoming astronomical! This table as it stands would cost
about $500, including the dishware. The silk flowers which I have found to be
much more economical still cost about $250 alone.
I
made the moulded ceramic dishes and can give documentation on how they were
made if wanted. . They are to show how the table would have looked when
completed and in use.
Construction of
the table
I
had a wood worker construct the wooden table for me since I am not a person who
gets along with the big power tools!
Again, the table was made to my specifications. Next, I made the
tablecloth, using a close weave bleached cotton broadcloth material. Again, the
choice for this material was purely cost, though cotton was known in period in
the Mediterranean area[2].
In both of the pictures the tablecloth looked to be fitted. There was no
draping of the material at all, which I could understand if the table was going
to have people moving around it. There could be a disaster if someone’s foot
caught the cloth! Additionally, the table looks to be very square suggesting
that the cloth was tightly fitted to the table.
We
then start on making the latticework by measuring the table and making a
decision as to how close to have the strips of wood to make appropriate sized
diamonds. I then painted each strip of wood to match the green of the greenery
used then wired the strips together to form the latticework or baby gate. I made the sides in sections so they would
be much easier to transport.
Next
I applied the flowers using wire, pliers, and some blood. (This is not an easy
thing to make. Please consider the blood a sacrifice to Art.) The sides were attached to a flat ¾ inch of
painted wood and this whole thing was then attached to the table. The flowers
are like a field daisy. They looked to be similar to what was used in both
pictures and are a very common flower within period. I had tried to use oranges
like what looks to be used in the picture, but I didn’t like the look I of the
oranges so I left them out. The picture in the primary source had oranges and
flowers around the top and bottom. I chose not to put fruits around the top and
bottom to the tablecloth because of cost and look.
This
is a decorated table that Georgiana Smith has in her book Table Decorations
from Il Trinciante, 1593 courtesy of Harvard College[3].
The ferns were done in a latticework pattern and are decorated with what looks
to be oranges. The flowers look to be a type of period rose. The sparse table
setting of a goblet, knives, forks and a plate suggests to the viewer that this
was a side table used for serving. The
tightness of the tablecloth and decorations on all sides support this, suggesting
that persons using this table stood closely.
I
took a trip to the Region of Constellation to a well-respected school of
learning (Indiana University) to have a personal look at the primary source for
this table. In the book Il
Trinciante by Cervio Vincenzo (1593 printing) the wood cut for
this table was a bit different than the table above. It had hanging fruit in
some of the open spaces made by the latticework of green ferns. Also there were
flowers at the connecting crosses of the lattice. The fruit on the top and
bottom edge looked to be oranges. The hanging fruit looked to be small bunches
of grapes and pears. Upon really close inspection of this picture it looks like
the greens had something such as wooden stripes laid on top of them and the
flowers were attached on top of the wood pieces. This could explain how they
were able to have the hanging fruit and the oranges for decoration without the
tablecloth being stretched or the fruit coming loose, because the fruit would
then have maybe been nailed to the wood cross pieces. I feel that the greens were attached to the wooden strips with
the flowers added to that.
The
table setting in the 1593 printing again suggested to the viewer that the table
was used for serving. It included a
stemmed plate that had a small goblet and bottle setting on it. There was also
a platter with a long necked fowl, which looked to be a goose, smaller serving
dishes, smaller platters which looked to have bread on them and maybe a piece
of pie of some kind. There were spoons, fork, and knives laying around on the
table and braced against the smaller plates, as if the dishes and utensils had
been used. So this table could also have been used to gather the left over food
and dishware. Again the tablecloth looks to be fitted to the table and was not
left to hang in folds.
The
table I have made was used in an alfresco party in the 16th century,
decorated to grace a noble household for your perusal today. I hope you enjoy it.
To
support the use of garlands and silk flowers for decorations;
Garlands
have been used throughout time to decorate for events. Whether it was a small
“chaplet” to decorate the heads of invited guests, or to decorate the walls and
tables to make the setting more pleasing to the eye.[4] Thomas Coryate reported that garlands “green
leaves and fine fruits, such as Melons, Oranges, Citrons etc.” were used to
decorate upon every fine occasion.”
Garland Makers were busy providing chaplets wreaths and garlands for
festivals, banquets, and special occasions. Garlands and Chaplets were even
made of silk to be used as decorations for many plays/revels of the 1500s.
I
found in the Extracts from the Accounts of the REVELS AT COURT, in the
reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James I and Documents relating to the Office of the Revels in the
time of Queen Elizabeth, a chaplet made of silk flowers was presented
to Queen Elizabeth I at some revels. Silk flowers are also mentioned in the book
Glossaire Archeologique, Du Moyen Age Et De La Renaissance:
Also
in the Medieval University serial Razo: “La parure du chef: les chapeaux
de fleurs” by Alice Planche, she mentions the use of vases of flowers
and the use of flowers made from “de velours and de soie”, velour and
silk.[5]
(These are the books I have used to gain knowledge on Flower Arranging and Flower decorations pre 1600. I have not used all of them today, but they all have added to the knowledge.)
Bibliography
A History of Flower Arranging by Dorothy Cooke and Pamela McNicol
Published in association with the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies
Heinemann Professional Publishing 1989
ISBN 0-434-90252-7
This book was a treasure trove of information! Not only for later time but all the way back to before Egyptian times! There was such information that I had not seen in any other books and they had pictures and sources to back them up! This is a wonderful book and a must read if your interested in the history of flowers!
The Book of Flowers Catherine Donzel
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 1998
ISBN 2-08-013655-0
This book is very good on talking about the symbolism of flowers. How they evolved through the ages and gives other leads as to where to find more information.
The Culture of Flowers Jack Goody
Cambridge University Press 1993
Includes bibliographical references. 1. Ethnobotany. 2. Ethnobotany-Africa. 3. Flowers-History. 4. Flowers-Social aspects. 5. Symbolism of flowers.
ISBN 0 521 41441 5 (hardback)
ISBN 0 521 42484 4 (paperback)
This is a wonderful book on flowers. It covers their meaning, use symbolism, and history from the very early times of the Pagans to the decline during early Christians and the reasons for the decline, then back to the full glory of the use of flowers for their beauty.
Extracts from the Accounts of the REVELS AT COURT, in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James I. Peter Cunningham
London; Printed for the Shakespeare Society 1812
This book gives the accounts of the revels and plays at court. Telling what was used. How much was used. What was paid for the items. Sometime sit even mentions what the items were used for.
A Manual of Church Decoration and Symbolism The Rev. Ernest Geldart; Rector of Little Braxted
Imported by Thomas Whittaker 2&3 Bible House, New York
This book was so old it was in pieces! But I could still read it and gleaned a lot of information from it. Decoration in general (ancient and modern: passing and permanent) Symbolism. on making wreaths, garlands, and other “devices” for the Church. It also gives lists of items used and how to make the items.
Table Decoration Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow Georgiana Reynolds Smith
Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. 1968
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 68-21113
This book touches on just about all aspects of flowers and their use. It has wonderful pictures to give examples. . It also talks about table decorations, different things that were used and the proper way to set and serve a table.
The Complete Guide to Flower & Foliage Arrangement edited by Iris Webb
Webb & Bower Limited, Exeter, England 1982ISBN 0-385-15119-5
This book has been one of the better books. It does not go as in depth as I would like but it covers all aspects of flowers arranging. It is more modernized but it does touch on the history of flowers and arrangements.
Glossaire Archeologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance by Vitor Gay
Pairs Librairie de la Scoiete Bibliographique 1887
This is a wonderful book filled with so much interesting information on the Renaissance. It is like a dictionary of medieval time.
Documents relating to the Office of the Revels in the time of Queen Elizabeth
Edited, with notes and indexes. By Albert Feuillerat
Louvan A. Uystpruyst 1908
Il Trinciante, 1593 by Cervio, Vincenzo
Flora Domestica A History of British Flower Arranging 1500-1930 by Mary Rose Blacker The National Trust Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 070780380-2
Very good book for later information on flower arranging.
A History of Flower Arrangment by Julis S. Berrall The Viking press, New York
Library of Congress catalog card number 68-23997
Fair on the information but great for pictures!
Glass Houses A History of Greenhouses, Orangeries, and Conservatories by May Woods and Arete Swartz Warren
Rizzoli International Publications Inc. New York, NY. 1988
ISBN 0-8478-0906-4
Architecture From Prehistory to Post-Modernism by Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman
Harry N. Abrams,Inc. New York
ISBN 0-8109-1077-2
Treasure of Flowers by Alice Coats
Phaidon Press Limited, London 1975
ISBN 0-07-011482-x
A Feast of Flowers by Jacqueline Heriteau
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York 1993
ISBN 0-395-62884-9
Zen Flowers by Henry Mittwer
Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. of Rutland, Vermont, & Tokyo, Japan 1974
ISBN 0-8048-1882-7
Les Plantes Dans L’Antiquite et au Moyen
Age History Uasages et Symbolisme
by
Charles Joret
Paris, Rue de Richelieu 1897
ILL 2753935
Medieval Gardens Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Meriden-Stinehour Press
ISBN 0-88402-146-7
The Cottage Garden and the Old-Fashioned Flowers by Roy Genders
Pelham Books, London
ISBN 0-7207-1442-7