Object of the Day: An Antique Tea Trolley

With its graceful cabriole legs and deep walnut sheen, the drop-leaf tea trolly dates to the early Nineteenth Century. The lower shelf would have provided ample room for cake stands and platters of little buttered sandwiches while the upper surface expanded to create a moveable dining table—perfect for tea-time in the drawing room.


Trolleys such as this were staples in English households in the Nineteenth Century. One could say that they were the ancestors of TV trays, but that just doesn’t seem proper. I wish we lived in a world with more tea trolleys.

Object of the Day: An Antique Walnut Tea Trolley

This unusual, oversized tea trolley comes from a Swiss hotel and dates to the late Nineteenth Century. Crafted from beautiful walnut, the trolley sports elegant, hand-carved legs, a moveable center tray and sterling silver wheels and handles. Used to deliver tea and other meals to rooms within this hotel, the trolley bears to plaques stamped with the makers seal and signed by a J. Clement, Geneva, “pour hotels.” Sterling silver hooks on either side of the trolley would have held tea towels.

I can imagine this grand trolley being rolled into an elegant hotel room, laden with cakes and other delicacies. I use the trolley as a center island in my kitchen. It’s an impressive piece and an interesting reminder of the quality of craftsmanship given to the most utilitarian of objects.