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British Colonial Tray Tables

BRITISH COLONIAL STYLE

Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.

As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.

Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.

To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.

Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.

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Style: British Colonial
Victorian Military Campaign Style Mahogany & Brass Butlers Tray
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Victorian Military Campaign Style Mahogany & Brass Butlers Tray on Coffee Table Stand Extra dimensions With the butlers tray leaves up Height 62cm Width 72cm Depth 54cm
Category

20th Century British British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

English Antique Military Campaign Design Butlers Tray and Folding Stand
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Bevan Funnell Military Campaign George III Butlers tray with folding Stand having foldable galleried handles & brass idents and feet - Wonderful tray for drinks...
Category

20th Century British British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Serving Tray on a Folding Stand
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial style serving tray with a removable top with a herringbone reed surface in a bamboo frame with brass handles on a mahogany folding base carved with a palm leaf motif...
Category

20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Bamboo

Military Campaign Square Mahogany & Brass Butlers Tray on Folding Stand
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Military Campaign Square Mahogany & Brass Butlers Tray on Folding Stand. Ideal for entertaining whether to serve drinks food etc. Extra dimensions Leaves up Height 59cm Width 54....
Category

20th Century British British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Moroccan Tray or Coffee Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Moroccan tray, coffee or cocktail table with a hand hammered removable brass tray, featuring floral and geometric designs crafted with open filigree and old world charm. The base has...
Category

20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Pair of Tray Tables or Stands
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage pair of folding tray or serving tables with woven rattan tops ambitiously crafted with galleries on folding X style bases.
Category

20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Rattan

19th century English Colonial Walnut Tray Table, 1890s
Located in LEGNY, FR
This side table features a beautiful walnut top with handles and folding base, dating from the early 20th century in the English colonial style. It is in good condition. The walnut ...
Category

1890s English Antique British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Walnut

Midcentury British Colonial Style Bamboo Bar Cart
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury bar cart or tea cart with a bamboo frame wrapped with reed.
Category

20th Century American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Bamboo

Related Items
19th Century English Mahogany Butler's Tray Table
Located in Germantown, MD
19th Century English Mahogany Butler's folding Tray Table. Newer Base Measures 32" in width, 19.5" in depth and stand 34.75". Tray is 3.25" in height.
Category

19th Century American Antique British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century English Mahogany Butler's Tray Table
19th Century English Mahogany Butler's Tray Table
$1,495
H 34.75 in W 32 in D 19.5 in
Vintage Hollywood Regency Lucite Tray Table or Luggage Rack
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Vintage Hollywood Regency Lucite tray table or luggage rack, signed Scheibe. Collapsed the stand measures H 24.5 by W 22.5 by D 3.75 inches.
Category

20th Century American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Lucite, Faux Leather

French Rattan Elephant Tray Table or Drinks Table, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching woven rattan end table or drinks table with removable tray top. France, 1940s-1950s. This elephant shaped end table stand was beautifully constructed in hand braided rat...
Category

Mid-20th Century French British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Wicker, Cane, Rattan, Wood

French Rattan Elephant Tray Table or Drinks Table, 1950s
French Rattan Elephant Tray Table or Drinks Table, 1950s
$2,964
H 21.66 in W 26.97 in D 14.38 in
Butler's Tray Table
Located in Wilson, NC
This butler's tray table has the original brass hinges that have been polished and lacquered for easy maintenance. There is a ten-inch area of indentations in one side of the top, th...
Category

Late 20th Century English British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Butler's Tray Table
Butler's Tray Table
$950
H 30 in W 38.63 in D 19.5 in
19th Century Papier Mache Tray on Stand
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A very attractive mid 19th century oblong papier maché tray having elegant hand painted and gilded floral decoration housed on later square tapered leg stand (What better way t...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Paper

19th Century Papier Mache Tray on Stand
19th Century Papier Mache Tray on Stand
$2,465 Sale Price
20% Off
H 18.5 in W 30 in D 22.5 in
Moroccan Moorish Copper Tray Table with Folding Base
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large Moroccan antique copper tray table with wooden Syrian folding base. The removable round copper top has a hand-hammered decoration with...
Category

20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Copper

Moroccan Moorish Copper Tray Table with Folding Base
Moroccan Moorish Copper Tray Table with Folding Base
$2,371 Sale Price
20% Off
H 22.84 in Dm 26.78 in
Moroccan Folding Tray Table in Brass and wood
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large Traditional Moroccan Folding Tray Table, Brass, Wood, Morocco, 1940s-1950s. This moorish brass tray table features a round brass tray...
Category

20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Large Moorish Arabic Brass Folding Tray Table, Spain 1940s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Moorish Style Spanish brass repousse tray table on folding wooden turned stand, Spain, 1940s-1950s. This spanish table was handcrafted at the mid-20th ce...
Category

Mid-20th Century Spanish British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Stylish Black & Gold Chinoiserie Style Tray Coffee Table
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Attractive black and gold chinoiserie style tray top coffee table having elegant splayed legs. The craquelure finish adds an elegance to the piece.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Wood

Large Middle Eastern Brass Tray Table on Carved Hardwood Folding Stand
Located in Worcester, GB
Large Middle Eastern Brass Tray Table on Carved Hardwood Folding Stand Mid 20th century A fine and generously sized decorative brass tray table, likely Moroccan or Middle Eastern in...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Bamboo Butler Tray On Stand
Located in New York, NY
Bamboo butler stand with removeable tray with bamboo gallery rail on folding bamboo stand
Category

Late 20th Century British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Bamboo, Wood

Bamboo Butler Tray On Stand
Bamboo Butler Tray On Stand
$475
H 32 in W 27 in D 24 in
Moorish Moroccan Style Folding Brass Tray Drink Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Handsome middle eastern Moroccan style brass top drinks table or tray table featuring a weathered patina on the etched top. The six leg base has a hexagonal shape with mother-of-pear...
Category

20th Century Asian British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Previously Available Items
Ralph Lauren British Colonial Style Faux Bamboo & Brass Tray Table / Bar
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a British Colonial style folding tray table or bar by Ralph Lauren. The tray hS a faux bamboo frame with brass handles. The carved legs have plantation styling. It dates appr...
Category

Early 2000s American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Victorian Military Campaign Butlers Tray & Folding Stand the Army and Navy Store
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Victorian, Military Campaign butlers tray with Folding Stand from The Army and Navy Stores, with Imprint of makers mark to the Stand. Stan...
Category

19th Century British Antique British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Mahogany

British Colonial Style Mahogany, Bamboo, & Rattan Butler Tray Table on Stand
Located in Southampton, NY
British Colonial Style Mahogany, Bamboo, & Rattan Butler Tray Table on Stand by Ralph Lauren. Butler's tray made of bamboo and rattan with br...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

Ralph Lauren Butler Serving Tray Table
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on CONTINUE READING at the bottom of this page. Offering One Of Our Recent Palm Beach Estate Fine Furniture Acquisitions Of A RALPH LAUREN British Colonial Style...
Category

1980s Vintage British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Brass

19th Century Colonial Walnut and Inlay Tray on Stand
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A very decorative 19th century walnut Colonial butlers tray. A rectangular smoked glass and a walnut frame with satinwood inlay tray, with wooden ...
Category

19th Century British Antique British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Smoked Glass, Satinwood, Walnut

Highly-Carved Mid Century Teak Bar Cart Tea Trolley
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A highly-carved solid teak two-tier Asian trolley with removeable top tray, the elegant cabriole legs embellished with carved faces, the gallery sides of...
Category

Mid-20th Century Hong Kong British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Teak

Bamboo and Rattan Serving Stand or Bar
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Serving stand or bar featuring a rattan and painted rattan tray style top with a herringbone center bordered by geometric designs and wrapped handled. The bamboo base has reed highli...
Category

20th Century French British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Bamboo

Anglo-Indian Rosewood Inlaid Tray Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Antique Anglo-Indian table crafted in rosewood with a removable service tray on top masterfully inlaid with delicate floral designs in copper and brass. The base has architecturally ...
Category

20th Century Indian British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Rosewood

Pair of Midcentury British Colonial Style Bamboo Tray Tables
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Multi purpose pair of midcentury British colonial tray tables crafted in burnt bamboo with removable herring bone, woven reed or wicker tops, bent bamboo handles and folding X-form b...
Category

20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Bamboo

Pair of Wicker Elephant Tabes
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Pair of wicker elephant stands in rare immaculate condition, with wood tusks on wicker bases with removable serving trays on top.
Category

20th Century American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Wicker

Pair of Wicker Elephant Tabes
Pair of Wicker Elephant Tabes
H 23.5 in W 30 in D 20 in
Pair of Bamboo and Grasscloth Trays on Stands
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial serving stands with removable trays having handles, grasscloth surfaces, and reed wrapped corners sitting on bamboo folding X-form bases with reed wrapped joints.
Category

20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Grasscloth

Butler Tray Table or Bar
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Butler's tray table or bar with a removable serving tray featuring a faux bamboo mahogany frame, grasscloth service area, and brass handles. The folding mahogany X shaped base is tur...
Category

20th Century American British Colonial Tray Tables

Materials

Faux Bamboo, Mahogany

Butler Tray Table or Bar
Butler Tray Table or Bar
H 35 in W 35 in D 25 in

British Colonial tray tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique British Colonial tray tables for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage tray tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, mahogany and other materials. If you’re shopping for used British Colonial tray tables made in a specific country, there are Asia, Europe, and United Kingdom pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original tray tables, popular names associated with this style include Ralph Lauren, Army & Navy CSL, Baker Furniture Company, and Bevan Funnell Ltd.. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for tray tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,516 and tops out at $5,200 while the average work can sell for $2,613.

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