Furniture had to be adaptable and hardworking in sparsely furnished 18th-century English and Colonial American homes. This was not the time for stunning ‘sculptural” chairs nobody sits in. As an example, this Queen Anne-style, mahogany tea table keeps two pullout tray tables to nearly double its serving capacity. Think about the space needed over the centuries for the famed English tea tradition. A well-chosen table had to accommodate small plates, lace-trimmed napkins, cups on saucers, the three-tiered tea sandwich servers, not to mention the tea tray itself with sugar, cream, hot water, strainers…exhausting to think about it. This simple and elegant table could have handled it, but it has the good manners to remain smaller when not in service. Think about that in our time. A small space taker, but ready to expand as a buffet or bar when you’re entertaining a few friends. Made in the 1940s by Biggs Furniture Co. of Richmond, VA, this table expresses the Queen Anne ideal. A serpentine scalloped apron, graceful and slender cabriole legs ending on simple pad feet. Form and function at its simple best. Maker’s mark: At center underneath