This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Nineteen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
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Gerald W. R. Ward – “Encounters in Space: Tables in Everyday Life”
The table has been a centrally defining metaphor of fellowship, power, the exchange of ideas, and business transactions across cultures and times. This may seem like a heavy load to bear for a piece of furniture, but the table is up to the task. Really nothing more complicated than a horizontal top on which food is served and games are played, the symbolic value of this meeting space has become cemented in our lexicon. And while deals “under the table” are common practice for the shady characters among us, staying “above board” always places one in a virtuous light.
For Issue Nineteen, author and curator Gerald W. R. Ward takes a fascinating look at the table – not just as an object in the dining room, but in its deeper meaning to humans throughout history. From different styles and designs through the ages to its presence in works of art, the table is loaded with meaning. Ward writes, “Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of tables to my mind… is how they provide a locus or (one might say) a playing field for a whole host of human activity and interaction.” The space created by elevating a plane for everyone to gather creates a wealth of possibilities.
From the table’s use in dining (and the rich and obscure social traditions that accompany it), to the power-centered boardroom table, to the image of King Arthur’s Round Table that sought instead to diminish status hierarchies, there is more to this simple piece of furniture than meets the eye.
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