How do I use an antique backgammon table?

Most of these pieces function as regular occasional tables when closed, sitting quietly in a drawing room or study until evening recreation begins. Opening the top usually reveals a dedicated playing surface lined for backgammon, chess, or cards. Many examples include built-in drawers or compartments beneath the surface to store dice, shakers, and games counters safely when not in use.

Were these tables made for backgammon only?

Combination pieces dominate the market, offering multi-use surfaces designed for several pastimes within a single piece of furniture. A typical top might feature a chess or backgammon board on one side and a smooth leather or baize surface for cards on the reverse. Interior trays often lift out to expose compartments originally intended for sewing equipment or writing materials, reflecting nineteenth-century desires for multifunctional household objects.

How do I tell Victorian from Regency examples?

Regency tables, dating from the early nineteenth century, generally favour dark rosewood with brass stringing, sabre legs, and classical architectural proportions. They often feature pedestal bases with platform feet. Victorian pieces, emerging after eighteen thirty-seven, frequently showcase burr walnut, heavier carved cabriole legs, and elaborate floral marquetry. Sewing-table combinations with hanging silk bags become much more common in this later era.

What is Syrian or Levantine work?

Levantine and Damascus tables originate from the Middle East and are instantly recognisable by dense mosaic inlay. Craftsmen constructed these surfaces using intricate geometric arrangements of wood, bone, and mother-of-pearl. These imported pieces arrived in European drawing rooms during the later nineteenth century as trade and travel expanded, offering a striking contrast to traditional British cabinetmaking.