This type of table is one of the oldest used in New France; it is mentioned as early as the middle of the 17th century. Versatile, capable of being dismantled, and portable, this table must have been greatly appreciated at a time when people came together to live, eat, and sleep in the same, often tiny room before the only fire in the house.
The feet and cross-pieces consist of a trestle in the form of an X, held in place at the centre by movable bolts (an iron bar has been added later). The same principle of support was used for folding beds (which were called "baudet") and for light, easily movable chairs. Because they were rapidly replaced by permanent furniture of a more solid kind, only a small number of these have survived.
