Early 20th-Century Possum Belly Baker’s Table

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Imagine a time back before bread came in a plastic bag and pies arrived home frozen. Time traveling, with an … Read more Imagine a time back before bread came in a plastic bag and pies arrived home frozen. Time traveling, with an aged patina to show for it, is this antique American “possum belly” baker’s table. The defining feature, from which it takes its colloquial name, is the pair of rounded, deep drawers or bins at the bottom. These were designed to store bulk dry goods like flour and sugar, keeping them fresh and, originally (let’s face it), also deterring rodents. Like this piece, therefore, they often contained metal or tin liners.
The laborious work of working the dough required solid construction and versatility, as well as a comfortable working height. Accordingly, this piece features solid construction, original hardware, two pullout cutting boards, two drawers for tools and two flour/sugar bins. Turned legs on casters easily get it out of the way when not in use, perhaps becoming a console table up against the wall. On the other hand, given that it’s perfect working height, it could be just the thing for a country kitchen island. See less