Charles X Mahogany Vide-Poche Table, Circa 1820

Details

Description

A French mahogany vide-poche table with dished circular top set within a shallow raised gallery. The round table is supported … Read more A French mahogany vide-poche table with dished circular top set within a shallow raised gallery. The round table is supported by three lyre-form shaped vertical supports curve outward from a central cupped finial. Each support rest upon a triangular plinth base with concave sides and shaped corners. The restrained form and symmetry are characteristic of Charles X period design, marked by neoclassical influence with a shift toward lighter decorative treatments and the use of fine veneers. Charles X, circa 1820

Height: 28 in. (71 cm.)
Diameter: 15 in. (38 cm.)

“Vide-poche” is a French term that translates literally to “empty-pocket.” A vide-poche table is a small table, often placed in an entryway or vestibule, designed to hold the contents of one’s pockets—such as coins, keys, gloves, or calling cards—upon arriving home.
In practice, a vide-poche table is closely related to what might also be called a small occasional table, entry table, or even a drinks stand depending on use and placement. What distinguishes it is its typically compact scale, often round or oval in plan, with a shallow dished or galleried top designed to catch or contain small items.

The term is also used more generally in French for any kind of small receptacle—like a bowl or tray—placed near a doorway for this same purpose. In furniture, though, it most commonly refers to a refined, small-scale 18th- or 19th-century table, frequently made in mahogany or walnut, and associated with French decorative traditions.

This particular Charles X table, with its galleried top and graceful, almost tulip-form supports, aligns with the neoclassical idiom of the period, reflecting its place in the 19th-century French domestic interior as a practical surface for small belongings.

See: Encyclopedia of Antiques, introduction by Wendell Garrett, consultant editor Rosemary Klein (New York: Galahad Books, 1971/1976), 164. See less