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Painted tabletops are decorated furniture, and surviving examples are almost all of South German origin. In its artistic quality and thematic wealth, Schaffner's tabletop may be considered the masterpiece of the genre.
On a surface of a little more than one square metre he marshals a whole universe of astronomical-astrological and Christian-humanist symbolism. At the centre of the panel is a bright star, symbolising the divine light of the Creator, which illuminates the whole cosmos and around this revolve eight heavenly bodies. In accordance with the beliefs of the age, these are the seven planets - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn - and a star that stands for the firmament. From these, rays radiate towards eight figures placed on a shelf that runs parallel to the edges and serves them as a stage, two figures sitting facing each other on each side. Identified in accompanying texts, one of these is Ptolemy, the others seven female figures, each personifying a multitude of meanings and each representing a planet, a colour, an art, a day of the week, a metal and a virtue. In this bundling together of different significations, the work is unique in the history of painting. On closer examination, we note that their order follows that of the days of the week, starting with Sunday. Behind the figures, on each of the four sides of the tabletop, are panoramic views characteristic of the lower Alps, cleverly blended at the corners to give the impression of a unified landscape spanned by a common sky.
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