Fête du Thé Table Paper Plate

The great French cabinet-makers of the 18th century understood that a piece of furniture was not complete until it had been placed in a room: set against the right wall covering, framed by the right textile, given the context that allowed its proportions and ornament to be properly read. The Les Meubles plates work on the same principle. Each plate presents a vintage Rococo furniture illustration at the center, in warm terracotta tones on a cream medallion ground, surrounded by a border drawn from the striped and floral wallpaper patterns of the same period. The furniture and its setting arrive together, as they were always intended to be seen.

The table illustrated here belongs to the family of the gueridon and the table à thé — the small occasional tables that furnished the private apartments of 18th-century French interiors, light enough to be moved, refined enough to carry a lamp, a vase, or a set of porcelain. These were the working furniture of rooms that actually lived in, set out and rearranged for the occasion, moved to catch the light from a window or the warmth from a fire.

The border is drawn from the striped wallpapers of the period: alternating bands with small repeating florals in the manner of the papier peint français. Part of the Fête du Thé collection. Pairs with the Les Meubles napkins for a complete place setting.