The Cape teak peg top table

In the 18th-century Cape, small rectangular tables were a staple in households, gracing both the opulent townhouses of wealthy free-burghers as well as the modest homes of trekboers in remote regions. Known as tea-tables, these pieces appear in household inventories as early as the 1670s (Woodward, 1982: p133). They were typically placed in the voorkamer- the main parlour, where Cape families welcomed guests and hosted social gatherings.

The Cape teak peg top table with the top subsequently fixed to the base

In the simpler, often single-roomed homes of inland farmers, these tables were positioned under a window near the front door, with one short side against the wall.  In the inventories of two neighbouring farms of Aan de Breede Rivier, namely Sahras Rivier en Boesmans Rivier we also find tea-tables listed. MOOC8/7.63: Henderina Steevensz, 24 September 1753, the farm Saraasrivier, 1 thee tafel, and MOOC8/44.52 Gabruel Jakobus Leroe, Johanna Aletta Sanneberg, 2 Januarij 1828, the farm Bosjemans Rievier in the voorkamer 2 teetavels.

The Cape teak peg top table with the top secured to the base with four pegs

These tables, often called stretcher or peg-top tables, were crafted from materials like imported teak, local stinkwood, yellowwood, or cedarwood in the Sandveld region. Their design features baluster-turned legs, a simple stretcher, and peg-runners to secure the top and base.

Detail of the peg-runners securing the top to the base

While researching the old inventories of deceased estates at the Cape, 1692 to 1834, I learned a lot about the layout of the old Cape houses in the descriptions of the rooms and its contents. I discovered that there would almost always be a table or two with a konfoor in the voorhuis (reception room), for receiving guests.

The Boer's Voorhuis by Charles Bell, 1850

After restoring the original front of the Towerwater main house and reinstating the voorhuis, we decided to introduce furniture that most likely would have been found there originally. The table of choice was a Cape teak side table with a wavey stretcher. Stretcher tables, together with the gate-leg variety are the earliest of the Cape-made tables.

17th Century table, G. E. Pearce, Eighteenth Century Furniture in South Africa, 1960 

As Cape teak tables with wavey stretchers date from the 17^th and 18^th century, the decision to buy one was easier to make than to find one to buy. Our first Cape teak table we bought in Pretoria in 2014. The teak that was used for furniture making in the 17^th and 18^th century at the Cape came mostly from the East. The VOC (Dutch East India Company) used teak for the crates that they used to ship produce in, sometimes the teak from these crates was used to make fine furniture.

Peg, thumbnail edge and rounded corners, drawer pull and leg detail of the peg top table

Stretcher detail of the peg top table

According to Hans Fransen, these tables in the baroque style, usually have baluster or occasionally barley-sugar twisted legs, always with H- or X-shaped stretchers. The tops are rectangular and often have slightly set-back quadrant-shaped corners. This small 'occasional' table on four legs sometimes has a removable top attached by pegs to a batten on the side of the frame.

Leg, drawer pull, Thumbnail edge and rounded corners detail of the fixed top table

Stretcher detail of the fixed top table

In his book Cape Furniture, published in 1960, M.G. Atmore describes the tables as Peg Top Turned Leg Style. Atmore used the leg shape of the table as the chief characteristic feature for categorising tables into different styles.

Examples of table legs, M.G.Atmore, Cape Furniture, 1965

The tables had 3 types of stretchers, the box, H and X.   The box is known to feature from the 16th century, the H type and plain X from the first half of the 17th century, and the shaped X from the early 18th century.  

Examples of strechers, M.G.Atmore, Cape Furniture, 1965

In Cape Country Furniture, M Baraitser and A Obholzer, 1971, the tables are described as stretcher tables. They maintained that the term peg-top is a rather confusing one as it was formerly used to describe the shape of the leg.  In fact, most of these tables have tops that are pegged to the under-carriage, and the term peg-top came to denote the method of construction rather than a specific style of leg.

Our second Cape teak table was bought at a wine farm in Somerset West. This was a true peg top table with the top still being secured to the base with four pegs. The one table has a full width drawer, and the other has a central drawer. One table has a single plank teak top, and the other has a two-plank teak top, both with a thumbnail edge and rounded corners. Each table has turned baluster legs terminating in flattened bun feet with a wavey cross stretcher between the four legs. Both the brass lion head ring handle and the rosette plate ring handle date from the last quarter of the 18^th century. 

These tables add the correct historical detail to the voorkamer at Towerwater. Brassware from Robertson craftsmen and ceramics from Olifantsfontein complete the celebration of traditional South African craftsmanship.

Sources:

Cape Antique Furniture, Lennox van Onselen, 1959

Cape Furniture, M.G.Atmore, 1965

Eighteenth Century Furniture in South Africa, G. E. Pearce ,1960

Cape Country Furniture, M Baraitser and A Obholzer, 1971

The Interior of the Cape House 1670 – 1740, CS Woodward, 1982

Three Centuries of South African Art, Hans Fransen, 1982

Town Furniture of the Cape, M Baraitser and A Obholzer, 1987

Cape Furniture and Metalware, Deon Viljoen and Piér Rabe, 2001

Domestic Interiors at the Cape and in Batavia 1602-1795, Various Contributers, 2002

Furniture from European trading posts at the Cape of Good Hope and in South-East Asia 17^th – 19^th Centuries, Deon Viljoen, 2003

Cape Antique Furniture, Michael Baraitser and Anton Obholzer, 2004

Ou-Kaapse Meubels, Studies in Style, Matilda Burden, 2013

Getting our ducks in a row

In October 1992,  the retaining wall on the orchard side of the parking terrace was built. A lionhead fountain spout, complete with all the necessary plumbing, was part of this phase of the project. It was part of a bigger scheme that would eventually incorporate a fountain in the orchard and the completion of the parking terrace and cellar.

The choice of the lionhead as the detail for the fountain was influenced by the classic use of lions since ancient times to symbolise strength, power, nobility, and courage. The Romans utilised lion sculptures for fountains, as seen with the Corbridge Lion, where a lion's mouth served as the spout for a large fountain.

After my retirement we realised that we had some outstanding projects that were to be completed by the time that we both retired. The water feature in the orchard was one of them.

In November 2024, we commissioned a builder to offer a quotation for the retiling of a section of the parking terrace, where the tiles had subsided and lifted under the large oak tree. Included in the building project was the building of steps and a ramp down to the cellar in the orchard. We took the opportunity to include the building of the “leidam” (irrigation water cistern) water feature under the lion fountainhead.

Although the initial idea was to build the steps and sides of the ramp with natural stone that we had collected over the years for incorporation into various building details on the property, we decided to opt for bricks and plastered walls instead. Keith decided to include klompie bricks in the steps and corner detail of the walls for the steps, ramp and water feature.

A klompie brick compared to a standard brick

Klompie bricks are small, traditionally hand-moulded Dutch bricks with a characteristic earthy tone and weathered texture, historically used as ship’s ballast in the 17th century. They were sought after by local property owners and were prized for their quality compared to local clays which were considered inferior for brickmaking at the time. They were used for a variety of exposed brickwork and details on buildings and landscaping features.

The stoep and steps of Marie Koopmans De Wet House in Strand Street, Cape Town

A good surviving example is the walls of the stoep and the steps of the historic Marie Koopmans De Wet House in Strand Street, Cape Town. The original dwelling, substantially extended and altered over the years, was built in 1701 by Reijnier Smedinga, silversmith, goldsmith, jeweler and joint assayer to the Dutch East India Company. The old buildings of the Cape, Hans Fransen, 2004

In his book, 18th Century Architecture In South Africa, first published in 1933, G E Pearse described the use of klompjes at the Cape as Follows, 

“For face work, steps, pavings, fountains, etc., small bricks called 'klompjes,' measuring about 7" x 3" x 11", were imported from Holland. Well made and burnt, they were of great decorative value, weathering to a rich golden yellow. The most notable example of their use is at the Castle, where they are used in the entrance in conjunction with imported blue stone and also in the upper portion of the walls and the Bell Turret."

The derivation of the term "klompje" as applied to these bricks is somewhat obscure. Literally it signifies "a little lump” and appears to be a local term of comparatively recent origin. They are called "geele klinkers" (yellow hard bricks) in the record of goods received from Holland and were imported in large quantities, a shipment of 50,000 being recorded.

He illustrated the use of different paving methods and described the illustrations as follows, 

Image: 18th Century Architecture in South Africa, G E Pearse, 1933  

"Klompje bricks on edge were most commonly used for steps and also as a margin to the stoep pavings (Fig. 23D). Rough irregular mountain stone was frequently employed in the courts and yards of the buildings, also cobble-stone paving (Fig.23 E., F)."

At Towerwater, the klompie bricks were used to reference this historical detailing and incorporate it at the cellar entrance and around the water feature. At the same time integrating the design with the established orchard and lion spout retaining wall.

Construction of the parking terrace retaining wall and the lion fountainhead commences in 1992

An aerial view of the back of the retaining wall taken in September 2000

The decision to use klompie bricks was easier than finding them. Although several brick companies manufacture klompie bricks with coloured cement, we wanted ones made with real clay to maintain the authentic feel of the building material on the property. We found a company that made the klompie bricks with real clay and also closer to the original specifications out at Joostenbergvlakte. It was quite a process to obtain the correct klompie bricks but in the end, it was worth the effort.

In March this year, when the water poured into the leidam through the lion’s mouth, we could stand back and marvel at the completion of the long overdue project. Listening to the water falling into the leidam is part of the enchantment of the water on the property. (Towerwater itself is derived from the Afrikaans word for "enchanted" water.)

The completed project

The completed project, including the orchard terrace

Slowly but surely, we are getting our ducks in a row. The klompie bricks around the entrance of the cellar and the water feature in the orchard add historical detail, connecting the project to Cape Dutch architectural traditions and creating a timeless finish that incapsulates the essence of Towerwater.

Today we can celebrate water gushing from the lion's mouth, believed to symbolise a continuous flow of prosperity, influenced by Feng Shui principles, which associate flowing water with good fortune and positive energy. The lion is believed to represent divine power while the water symbolises purification and life. Appropriate energies for a happy retirement.

Sources:

18th Century Architecture in South Africa, G E Pearce, 1933
Homesteads and Villages of South Africa, James Walton, 1952
The Architecture of the Cape Colony from 1795 to 1838, Thesis for the Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town, November 1961
Early 19th Century Architecture in South Africa, Ronald Lewcock, 1963
Cape Dutch Houses and Other Old Favorites, Phillida Brooke Simons, 2000