Table

The table was part of the furnishings of a private apartment of Janina Szczerska (born on 22 October 1897 in Stryj, died on 10 July 1981 in Szczecin) – Polish language teacher, founder and headmaster of the first Polish secondary school in post-war Szczecin in 1946-1951 and 1959-1966. The table was donated to the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin in a will drafted on 1 September 1976. The oldest tables date back to the times of ancient Egypt – at the time, they were flat stone slabs set on one or three legs. They were not intended for eating – they had an exclusively decorative function, as their purpose was to showcase the wealth of their owners. Short tables used by the Chinese were more practical, as they used them for writing and painting. The first wooden, polished and veneered tables for eating were not invented until sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC in Greece. In the Middle Ages, they became an indispensable part of the furnishings of any household. In the 18th century, the designs of tables became highly diversified.

Anna Lew-Machniak