CHANGER TABLE German-speaking Switzerland, first... Lot 38

CHANGER TABLE German-speaking Switzerland, first half of the 16th century Walnut and softwood Perfect state of preservation H. 82 cm, W. 100 cm, D. 88 cm Fully removable, this changer table is very practical and very modern. Its sliding top houses a high and deep drawer. Four crosspieces with fine mouldings ensure the stability of the base; they are keyed two by two in the front and rear uprights. Our table, like the one in the Carnavalet Museum, is characteristic of the evolution of this type of furniture intended in the 16th century to remain in a fixed place (fig. 1). In the Middle Ages, the moneychanger held a monopoly on the trade in precious metals; he received and exchanged foreign or defective or even demonetized coins. At first, he carried out his activity in an itinerant way, going from fair to fair with his table, before establishing himself in large urban centres. The box hidden under the tabletop allowed him to store coins and bills of exchange in "layettes".