Text: Jennifer Boles
Although wallflowers are generally overlooked, standing on a room’s sidelines is what makes the demilune table stand out. Named after the French word for half-moon, the demilune table, whose origins lie in the 18th century, is known for its distinctive semi-circular shape. With a bowed front and flat back, the demilune was conceived to be placed flush against a wall, where it could be used as a resting spot for candelabra, clocks, or porcelain or simply left bare.
While all demilune tables share a half-round shape, their forms can vary according to their intended purpose. Some demilune tables, particularly those with heavy marble tops, were created to be stationary wall consoles for hallways and formal spaces. Others were built to be less cumbersome so that they could be easily moved away from the wall and into the middle of a room for use as full-fledged tables. To accommodate the dining and card playing that typically took place in 18th-century drawing rooms, a pair of demilunes would be pushed together back-to-back to form a circular table. Some versions even came equipped with attached leaves which, when extended, allowed them to become game tables all on their own.
Regardless of their form or function, custom dictated that once the tables were no longer in use, they were to be returned to their resting position against the wall.
Because of their late-18th-century roots, demilune tables often carry many of the hallmarks of Neoclassicism, the then-reigning decorative style in Europe and America. On par with the style’s pared-down elegance, demilune tables tend to be supported by slender, tapering legs that vary in number depending on their size. Some small demilune console tables were built with only two legs, providing just enough stability to keep them standing upright. The more common form, however, has a wide semi-circular top upheld by three or four legs. The bigger the table, the more legs it requires.
Also under the influence of the Neoclassical style was the tables’ surface decoration, which differed between countries. In typical glittering French fashion, Louis XVI demilunes were frequently constructed of giltwood that was sometimes carved with classical motifs, such as laurel swags and urns. French-made demilunes were also often crowned by marble tops. While some Italian versions were similarly constructed, others were treated to multicolored painted decorative finishes, in keeping with that country’s tradition of painted furniture.
Embellishments aside, the most familiar demilune tables, at least to many of today’s collectors, are also the most simply adorned. Made of polished mahogany, walnut, or satinwood (and sometimes enhanced by marquetry), antique English and American demilune tables possess a quiet elegance that makes them favorites still today. Whether functioning as a lamp table or assigned the role of a bar, demilune tables have earned a spot in modern homes, thanks to their versatility.
need to KNOW
• According to Staci Davidman, owner of Foxglove Antiques in Atlanta, 18th-century demilune tables were considered luxury items, and their ornateness would have been commensurate with their owners’ social status. “A royal family could afford to have something made in a higher quality wood with more details through carvings, gilding, ormolu, and inlay. A merchant would likely have something more simply created in a lesser quality wood, such as pine, with minimal decoration,” she says.
• Although demilune tables were crafted from a variety of woods, the species used would have depended on its country of origin. “In France and Italy, walnut would have likely been the most common choice. In Sweden, it was typically pine. Since pine doesn’t have the same ‘pretty’ grain as nut woods, it was often painted or faux-marbled to create a more desirable or elevated effect,” says Davidman.
• The price range of demilune tables is broad. “In general, pairs are more desirable and costly than singles. In our shop, based on a variety of factors, the prices range between $1,800 and $8,500,” Davidman notes.
