Console is a funny word. Makes you want to hug some random cry-baby and say "There, there now."
Or better yet, throw on that sassy red wig of yours and belt out a rowsing rendition of "The sun'll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun..."
But that's "con-SOLE" and we're interested in the antique term pronounced "CON-sole".
Ok, so here's an antique riddle: what kind of table can have four legs, three legs, two legs, or no legs at all?
This calls for a hilarious punch line--so if you think of one let me know. But since I can't think of anything I'll just tell you the answer: it's a CONSOLE table defined as a shallow table that fits up against a wall that can have elaborate ornamental struts or one to 4 legs and can even just be mounted to the wall with small brackets and no feet at all. Here's a handsome 18th c. Italian console (note the four legs):![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS2VyvT-_Mp0P6a0iB4S_bMMFdxV2wJPRJTXAKzhntmhworbYrbV7VCLLGg8wJQ66rDDg-pQPV9mw7on_hpc1h-u2O6XoHvKCqu-S67NyHs9Wp2jXUETi0TwielrK4X3cVP9iIYbJmT4/s400/2151_1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS2VyvT-_Mp0P6a0iB4S_bMMFdxV2wJPRJTXAKzhntmhworbYrbV7VCLLGg8wJQ66rDDg-pQPV9mw7on_hpc1h-u2O6XoHvKCqu-S67NyHs9Wp2jXUETi0TwielrK4X3cVP9iIYbJmT4/s400/2151_1.jpg)
I think a console is best thought of as a narrow table that stands against a wall or, in the current vernacular, many will call it a sofa table meaning a shallow four legged console that stands behind a sofa; technically that's a misnomer (a real "sofa table" has drop leaves on each side) but let's not split hairs (since I only have about 12 left).
Here's a console with a matching mirror; this console really stands on only one elaborately carved leg:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97dy73A236oeWwh5GmZ9II9NsAnGbmp63Z4K-bYBewiFp-m6jG4kyJ3iu2bA4oywaUE_KwkIZ5oaRozEMgcJiaNmae-8Zq-eNIiM9kUP7_eOksF97wS-If1Yvne41Xipq4Pk_24kgpBg/s400/2260_1.jpg)
And finally here is a solid marble console measuring over 10 feet long and having only brackets mounted to the wall for support (i.e., "Look ma, no legs!):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmGVlkRBbIxSCnmfHuiCJdiu_J42DP3bGqcldmtsetH6uYnjiZmip-Ukx6Ge_bS1oYfXeiTOjqkTbUSyybUx-5FG6Bf3QNBVb5L0g9pYEFwslFX8UoogkE-Yk-IPLPS1n4xM3dDbFS40/s400/1814_1.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment