Mechanical Table

Often done in the presence of friends and visitors, dressing and grooming were important activities in the life of an eighteenth-century aristocratic lady and called for many accessories and pieces of furniture designed especially for primping. This small dressing table features a mirror and compartments on either side to store toilet articles, as well as a book rest (the back of the mirror), a shallow drawer to keep sheets of paper, and two small storage compartments for quills and inkpots, should it become necessary to write a short note while getting ready for the day. Finally, the upper section can be removed and placed elsewhere— perhaps on a bed—where it can rest on its four short feet. The lower section then becomes a table complete with the compartments and drawers to store the accessories needed for getting dressed, writing, and eating a light meal, as usually happened during this daily ceremony.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.