When I first totally fell in love with early country primitives, one of my first acquisitions was an old harvest table. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the term “harvest table” it simply means a large dining room table. Many of these tables date back to the mid-1700’s and were often made from either oak, pine or poplar. Sometimes you can date these tables are by the size of the planks used to construct them. It is said that boards (planks) that were over sixteen inches wide date back to at least the mid 1800’s if not older. You can also date harvest tables by the “rings” on the wood, or the grain in the planks, which is another indicator. Many of these tables were constructed from two or three planks, a simple apron and legs. They are not only sturdy, as you can imagine, but hearty as well! I actually own two harvest tables. One I use in a traditional way, in my dining room. The other one, which is older, I use as my desk in my office and I absolutely love them both!
One of my fascinations and one of the reasons I absolutely love antiques, especially country primitive pieces, is because of their history. It is more than above, about how they were made and when they originated. With me, it is about the memories these tables hold. I wonder where they came from, what kind of home were they a part of. As I was eating dinner the other night with my oldest daughter, Brande, we were talking about different things and sharing thoughts. After dinner when I was sitting there alone, I started thinking about all the different people, my family and friends, and even some people I didn’t know very well, have gathered around that table and shared out thoughts, our joys, our sadness and just every day conversation. Wow, I wish I had more the just my memory to record those conversations! Most recently, my harvest table was the “buffet table”, so to speak, for my daughter Katie and her husband’s wedding reception. Talk about unforgettable memories! There have been so many fond memories for me when I think about what I’ve shared at a simple, plain, constructed table with eight mismatched chairs! And I can only dream about what memories were made in past history before the table became mine.
Antiques are something, that many of us say in this business, “I don’t NEED it, but I WANT it”, because you just fall in love with certain antique items. You know it is a one of a kind thing you just have to have! It is like they call your name, you keep thinking about them and one way or another, you find a way to take them home! The best part of the obsession is that most of the time, because you are buying a piece of history filled with memories, it will never lose its value. And after all, is it really the monetary value that is important, or is it the memories of the past that fill our hearts today? I’m a big believer in the memories and that is what it’s all about. Stop by and visit us at Country Roads when you have chance. All of us totally understand your wants and obsessions and we love to see our antiques go to homes that will create memories for the future!
No comments:
Post a Comment