In their The Universal System of Household Furniture, 1762, William Ince and John Mayhew published designs for 'Tea Kettle Stands' with tripod base. Chippendale also published designs for similar tables in the third edition of his The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, 1762, in which he described them as 'so easy to understand that they want no explanation' (see: P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev. edn., London, 1954, vol. III, pp.155-156). These tables appear to have served a number of uses, but principally in conjunction with tea-kettles. Several examples are known that have survived intact with silver waiters, for which they were made as stands, including two at Dunham Massey, Cheshire, illustrated by P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, op. cit., p. 164, figs. 1 and 2. Both these examples have knotched borders to accommodate the feet of the silver waiters.
The waiters were frequently made to support tea-kettles and their stands although they have in many cases been separated at a later date. Wood tables were often made for them but in rare cases these too would be of silver. One such table and kettle by Simon Pantin, 1724-25 is in the Untermyer Collection (Y. Hackenbroch, Highlights from the Untermyer Collection, New York, 1977, pp.55-56, no.86)
The triangular top is very rare. No designs are published for kettle-stands with this form of top but Ince and Mayhew, op. cit., publish a design for tripod 'Card Table' with a triangular top (op. cit.., pl. LIII)