The hive mind has never been beaten, right? I need you now!
I am trying to track down the name & an image of an antique wooden object - possibly very old.
It would have been used by the Lady of the House to plan seating plans, and consists of two pieces of wood, rectangular, maybe a foot x half a foot. They are stuck together in the middle, one on top of the other, with a gap/groove running all the way around the edges.
You can then have the guest names on pieces of paper, and stick them around the groove, representing the table, and can arrange and rearrange the pieces of paper until you are happy with your seating plan!
It apparently can also be used as an actual seating plan to show guests where to sit as they enter the dining room.
It could be a French thing, as it may be called a 'Place-mot', or possibly a 'Placement'.
But - I have searched and searched and can't find any information.
Somebody somewhere must know - would love any help in finding this!