item details
NameDepression-era occasional table
ProductionUnknown; cabinetmaker; circa 1932; New Zealand
Classificationutility furniture
Materialswood, cloth
Materials SummaryWood [recycled kahikitea cheese crates]; textile [?calico - TBC]
Dimensions710mm, 400mm
Registration NumberGH012212
Credit linePurchased 2009
Overview
This Depression era occasional table has been constructed from recycled cheese crates made for the New Zealand diary company Defiance. The crates are made from kahikatea, a native wood which was milled from the 1880s well into the early twentieth century. As kahikatea's timber is odourless, and therefore doesn't taint products, it was ideal for packaging cheese and butter.
The bottom tier of the table features the exporters mark: ‘Crate No xx33/ DEFIANCE/ NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE/ REG NO 319/ NEW ZEALAND 1 lbs Net/ FULL CREAM'.