A foldover table is a table with a hinged top made of two leaves, one of which folds over onto the other when not in use so the table can stand neatly against a wall. When opened, the upper leaf is supported by a swinging back leg, a concertina action, a pull-out frame or by rotating the whole top through ninety degrees over the frame.
Foldover tables became popular in England in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when card playing and tea drinking were fashionable pastimes. Card tables were usually lined with baize or needlework and sometimes fitted with counter wells and candle stands, whereas tea tables had a polished interior surface. Early Georgian examples in walnut and mahogany often have cabriole legs, while later Georgian and Regency tables are lighter, with tapering or turned legs, crossbanding and brass inlay. Swivel-top mechanisms, which hide the support entirely, are typical of the Regency and Victorian periods. Buyers should check that the two leaves match in colour and figure, that hinges are original, and that the top lies flat when open. A foldover table is versatile, serving as a console, games table or occasional dining surface in a small room.
