This piece is many different things. It would have been a showpiece in your home. It would
have been a functional space to do your work, and it also would have provided storage for your
secrets. This is a globe-shaped work table. It was made in Austria between 1810 and 1820.
This table would have been in an affluent household. This is something that would have been used by a
woman for leisure activities such as embroidery or knitting, and it would have been placed very
prominently in the household. It wouldn't have been tucked away in a corner by a window. It really
would have stood in the center of the room for everyone to see when they came to visit.
It would have been a technical challenge to produce because when you open the table,
the upper hemisphere rotates back completely into the lower section of the table. The interest in
the globe shape was thought to have come from French 18th century architecture. Globe-shaped
buildings perhaps inspired the shape of this table. In the late 19th century in Austria,
there was an emphasis placed on the process of design and not just the final product. Every
master cabinet maker had to submit a design for approval to the academy, and because of this,
examples of design drawings exist today that illustrate the technical skill and creativity
of these makers. The interior compartments of this piece could only be accessed by somebody
that was in the know. The central sewing tray can be lifted out to reveal an interior compartment
with several small drawers. Once removed, one can access a second set of drawers hidden behind
the temple. These would have provided storage for pieces both personal and private, such as letters
or jewelry. When I first encountered the globe table, I was struck by its unusual form and its
simplicity in design, but the complexities of this piece are not immediately apparent, and what I
love is the feeling of opening it up and discovering it layer by layer, drawer by drawer. I think
that's what makes this piece really interesting.
