A monks bench or hutch table is a piece of furniture where a tabletop is set onto a chest in such a way that when the table was not in use, the top pivots to a vertical position and becomes the back of a settle, and this configuration allows easy access to the chest lid which forms the seat of the piece.

Overview

Percy Blandford notes that "whether monks ever used such a bench is debatable, but it is an attractive name".

A monks bench was a useful form at a time when many homes had a large room used for multiple functions, because it allowed a large dining table to swing up and out of the way.

  • A monks bench configured as a table
  • A monks bench configured as a settle
  • A monks bench from the 1600s
  • A similar chair-table from the 1600s

See also

Notes

  • Blandford, Percy W. (1982). Constructing tables and chairs— with 55 projects (illustrated ed.). Tab Books. p. . ISBN 978-0-8306-1424-0.
  • Carney, Clive (1950). Furnishing art and practice. Oxford University Press. p. .
  • Pearson, Lu Emily Hess (1985) [1957]. Elizabethans at Home. Stanford University Press. p. . ISBN 978-0-8047-0494-6.
  • Strickland, Calton (March 1953). "The Early American Hutch Table". Popular Mechanics. 99 (3). Hearst Magazines: –167. ISSN .