Work Table

Overview Work Table F. J. Henkel American ca. 1860 On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774 This ingenuous table in the Renaissance Revival style is said to have been first owned by the actress Sarah Bernhardt. The table bears the stamp of Frank J. Henkel, a cabinetmaker listed in New York directories between 1857 and 1876. The hinged front pulls down. Its underside is the bottom of a box for sewing notions. The flat surface area above and behind the box unfolds, forming a writing surface and revealing a container to hold writing supplies. This container lifts out and has two deep drawers and a storage section.