Table setting by homedesignlover.com
We all love sitting down to a good meal, immediately made better by a beautiful table setting. In fact, decorating a table, whether for dining or or other purposes, has taken on a special name: tablescape. Even with such changed terminology, one thing about human behavior, whether ancient or modern, is that it remains recognizably the same. People have always seen what the basics were and then improved upon them. Such has been the history of the accoutrements of dining, whether table, plates, utensils, or linens. From ancient times to the present, one can see how all this evolved.
When looking at what many of the ancients did, we see that basics still applied. Ancient Egyptians created chairs, tables, stools, beds and even poles and frames from which hung fine linen to surround their beds and keep the mosquitoes out. Pharaoh Khufu’s mother, Queen Hetepheres, left lovely bedroom furniture showing us what that might have looked like. We know a lot about the food that they ate, and what they drank (wine for the rich and beer for everybody), but not much about how it was served and consumed. It is known that the poor circled together, sitting on the floor where a huge bowl full of food was set in the middle. The gathered proceeded to eat with their fingers. Those with more money would have found it easier to be seated, but in what arrangement, it is not clear. However, it is known that the wealthy had finger bowls to rinse their fingers in, and water that had been boiled, for they had learned that Nile water made people very sick. I have not found any clear depiction of an Ancient Egyptian dining set up, but those who create Ancient Egyptian Revival furniture have carried forth the idea of what that ancient elegance might look like with a slight update.
The Romans also ate with their hands, though they had plates and serving dishes, as well as bowls for soup. They also had servants to wipe their greasy fingers as they reclined in comfort. Unfortunately, they had a penchant for using lead vessels to drink from, which may have also been one of the causes for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, as lead poisoning has rather serious consequences. The Romans had knives and spoons, but were not so keen on forks.
This silverware comes from Roman France, and yes, you see a bronze fork there. However, the Romans used forks more for cooking or spearing a piece of meat from a platter, rather than using it the way we do in modern times.
Of course, this completely disrupts the myth that forks only came to the Occident in the 10th century from Byzantium. Personally, I always liked the anachronistic presentation given in the film Beckett, where the heavily bearded, leather and fur-wearing barons of the court of King Henry II of England, were introduced to this frilly French thing, known as a fourchette (fork), which they promptly commenced to stab each other with. But no, that is Hollywood. History shows that merchants traveling from east to west in the 13th century circulated the use of forks. In those days, if you were worth anything, you had your very own eating utensils with you.
The Italians took that to a new height by introducing the cadena, a box for carrying one’s dining utensils. Catherine de Medici brought that custom to France in the 16th century. Given that human behavior has changed little, one can imagine the competition to have the finest looking set in the most wonderfully decorated box. This was especially true if you “sat above the salt,” a reference to the beautiful silver salt cellars that decorated the tables and marked off where the important people sat as opposed to those of lesser standing. The art of decorating the table was in full swing.
While the Occident moved relentlessly toward finer and finer dining experiences, the Chinese had already gotten around messy fingers and lead poisoning early on by inventing chopsticks (1200 B.C.), and porcelain dishes (Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D.). They had also mastered the knife and spoon early on, and had two-pronged forks for cooking as early as 2400 B.C.! That blue Chinese porcelain that so surprised the people of Europe was developed in the 13th century. A few centuries later in the 17th century when the Dutch were growing rich from trading in the Far East, they decided to make their own porcelain, known as Delft Blue. At the same time (around 1645), France’s sun king, Louis XIV, decided that France needed its own porcelain and created the Sévres factory to create fine porcelain objects, which are known for their beauty and craftsmanship right to the present day.
Of course, having wonderful things upon which to serve up rich meals led the Dutch to invent a genre of painting called the Banketje or Banquet painting in which they showed off their wealth in beautiful serving dishes and stemware on tables overladen with an abundance of fine things to eat. However, being good Protestants, they did not want to tempt fate, so they often showed the fruits and foods as half eaten, and the glasses of wine overturned. Often objects rested on the very edge of the table, as if about to fall into the darkness below. All of this was their way of showing that they knew well that all good things must end and that one must not become too proud. I still think they really enjoyed showing off, and the painters like Pieter Claesz must have loved showing their skills at painting such complicated scenes.
So finally as we arrive in the 1700s, the “need for the communal napkin” faded away and according to “The History of the Table Setting” mickeyslinen.com, the cloth napkin became popular and with it table manners. No more of this stabbing your neighbor with a fork business, oh no. It was time to sit up straight and chew with your mouth closed. Fancy, sparkling objects began to appear on the dining table as people, once again, wanted to show off their wealth, even hiring decorators to help them prepare elaborate tables for their guests. Flowers began to appear in the 1800s, along with other splashes of color in the form of table runners. By the 1900s, there were (and still are) tablescape competitions.
So here we are, centuries later, with the proceeds of centuries of work by ancestors from various continents. We are able to slap down a picnic meal on paper plates or a formal Thanksgiving feast for family and friends with the best “china,” flatware and cutlery in silver or gold, and crystal stemware for our wine. All is perfectly placed on a stunning linen tablecloth with matching napkins held in their decorated holders on a table punctuated by charmingly matched serving dishes, and of course, the flowers.
However, we can also have fun when we want to and express our artful fantasies in this rather unique genre of tablescape. I wonder what a Dutch master like Pieter Claesz would have thought of this creation?
Information for this post used the following sources:
“Ancient Egypt for Kids: Table Manners. egypt.mrdonn.org
“The Fiercely Precise World of Competitive Tablescaping” by Andy Wright, atlasobscura.com
“The History of Table Setting: A Timeline” mickeyslinen.com
“The History of Table Settings and Dining Etiquette,” The Richmond Times-Dispatch richmond.com
Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.
Holiday Wines (made somewhat easy).
The holidays are full of things to consider, lists of activities to accomplish, meals to plan, purchases to make, and on and on. Having a few tips on what wines to serve with which foods can help to take some of the pressure off.
Let’s start with the initial welcome. Here one can go in a variety of ways. A light still white wine, like an off-dry Riesling, is one that will go with any number of appetizers, for instance, a soft cheese like Brie or Camenbert baked in a pastry shell filled with that seasonal favorite, cranberries. The crisp but mild fruitiness in the taste of an off-dry Riesling blends well with the sweet/tart taste of the cranberry, as the off-dry has a bit less acid than dry Riesling but also is less sweet than many sweet versions of the wine.
If you simply have guests stopping by or arriving after having traveled distances to reach your home, you might want to go “old world” and greet them with a glass of Vin Santo and some biscotti (sweet Italian almond cookies). The Vin Santo is a traditional Italian “greeting” drink that will warm spirits and help guests settle in for a good conversation.
Holiday time is a time for toasting to good health, good fortune, and good friends, so naturally a nice champagne is called for. There are many choices here, but do remember that America also makes good champagne and yes, we call it by that name. Now depending upon how festive you wish to be, you might decide to serve a sparkling Shiraz, which has a deep red color that goes well with the Christmas season, stick with the pale golden version, or be coy with a sparkling rosé.
The key things to remember when serving sparkling wine is to serve it chilled at 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be done by placing it in the refrigerator for 2.5 hours or in the freezer for 25 minutes. You have a choice of glasses, but the main goal is to keep the bubbles alive, as they give the wine that sparkle it is known for. A tulip which closes in at the top is best, but a champagne flute works well, too. And don’t forget American champagnes, like those pictured here made by Gruet in New Mexico. gruetwinery.com
ON TO THE MAIN COURSE
Of course, there is nothing to say that you will actually have turkey for any of your holiday meals, but if you decide to go that way, you might want to serve a Pinot Noir. Not only will it go well with the bird, but its main quality is one of being balanced and drinkable. This means that it will go well with the side dishes also, so you need not fear serving mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and cranberry sauce. However, a good Chardonnay can also do the trick, but get an unoaked Chardonnay, as its medium-to-high acidity works well with those side dishes. Should your bird be a duck or a goose, then stick with the Pinot Noir. For those who love roasted meats, a Cabernet Sauvignon or an oaked Chardonnay stand up well to those heavier flavors.
If you really go non-traditional and have seafood, then having it with some champagne would be my first choice. However, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris all work well. This last one is particularly good with any of the fried seafood like calamari. However, when serving dishes like bouillabaisse, paella, jambalaya, or gumbo, you can count on a good Pinot Noir.
TIME FOR DESSERT
Poached Pear and Riesling coravin.com
When it comes to desserts and wines, the difficulty can be the mixing of sweets with sweets, which cancels out the taste of both. However, there are options, like the intriguing combinations offered by Coravin, which include meringue cookies and rosé, and peppermint cookies and Cabernet Sauvignon (click link above). One also has the possibility of serving a fortified Port or Sherry, which can provide a sweet ending to a lovely meal. (Photo from thespruceeats.com).
Well, the holidays are upon us, but hopefully with a few good suggestions, we will all navigate them well and have lovely, memorable experiences of beautifully dressed tables and excellent foods and wines. Happy Holidays!
The articles used for this post on wines for the holidays are all linked above.
Of Art and Wine affiliates with Bluehost.com and CellarsWineClub.com and may earn from qualifying purchases.
©marjorie vernelle 2021
Coming Soon: Peace and the Apocalypse in Botticelli’s Mystic Nativity and Wine Cocktails.
Sandro Botticelli had an interesting career as a painter in the High Renaissance of 15th century Florence. He was favored by Lorenzo de Medici and created many works that were based upon the Ancient Greek myths and legends which had come back into European culture with the Renaissance. However, as time went on he came under the influence of the radical monk Savonarola and began to doubt the previous subject matter of his work. In The Mystic Nativity, we see his approach to the birth of Christ has remnants of his earlier painting style seemingly pressed into the service of a new ideal.