Edwardian Walnut Games Table
When you handle an Edwardian walnut games table, you hold a piece of social history built for domestic leisure.
Edwardian Walnut Games Table
An edwardian walnut games table serves as a versatile piece of furniture designed for card playing, chess, and social gatherings in the home. These tables often feature fold-over tops, inlaid boards, and internal storage compartments for pieces and cards.
While the Edwardian period provides specific examples, the selection also includes nineteenth-century Victorian pieces and later interpretations. The dominant form on this page remains the card table, alongside occasional tables and specialised games boards.
Makers utilised various stylistic influences, ranging from Queen Anne revival to Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic Movement designs. Walnut is the constant material linking these diverse forms, appearing in figured, burr, and flame varieties.
How They Were Made
Cabinet makers constructed these tables using solid woods and applied veneers, selecting walnut and burr walnut for their rich grain patterns. Marquetry inlay, kingwood, and mahogany frequently appear as decorative elements, complemented by brass hardware and ceramic components.
The construction relies on sturdy folding mechanisms, pedestals, or cabriole legs that support the weight of the pivoting top. Ormolu mounts and leather surfaces are integrated into specific pieces to elevate both utility and visual appeal.
A roulette wheel occasionally hides inside a table, proving Edwardian gatherings took their entertainment seriously.
What Varies in Quality
Quality depends upon the selection of timber and the precision of the marquetry inlay. Figured and burr walnut veneers demonstrate superior cabinet-making when matched carefully across the folding top and surfaces.
The engineering of the hinge mechanism and the stability of the folding leaves dictate the durability of the table. Cabinet-makers who added fitted interiors, secondary woods of high grade, and detailed ormolu mounts produced the finest examples in the range.
Edwards & Roberts·Howard & Sons Ltd·Maple & Co·Thurston
The Edwardian Walnut Games Table Glossary
- Burr Walnut
- A specialised wood cut from the abnormal growth of a walnut tree, producing swirling and knotted grain patterns that are prized for decorative veneering.
- Demilune
- A half-moon shape commonly seen in the design of side and card tables intended to sit flush against a wall.
- Marquetry
- The art of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, frequently utilising contrasting timbers.
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze mounts applied to furniture to provide ornamental detail and accent the corners, legs, or aprons.
- Serpentine
- A curved line of furniture shaping that undulates inward and outward, adding movement and complexity to the silhouette.
Edwardian Walnut Games Table: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you open a fold-over games table?
The top leaf pivots on hinges and unfolds to rest upon a swing leg or a concertina frame. This action doubles the surface area to reveal a baize or inlaid playing field.
Care must be taken to support the pivoting leaf evenly during the movement to protect the original hinges and timber joints.
What games were played on these tables?
These tables accommodated card games, chess, draughts, and sometimes roulette, depending on the integrated board or surface design. Fitted interiors often held the necessary counters, cards, and playing pieces.
Many tables served a dual purpose as writing desks or side tables when closed for daily domestic use.
How do I distinguish Edwardian from Victorian tables?
Edwardian tables often display lighter proportions and influences such as the Queen Anne revival style, featuring cabriole legs and subtle inlay. Victorian examples tend to be heavier, utilising robust pedestals, serpentine shaping, and rich burr walnut veneers.
Construction methods and secondary woods also offer clues to the specific decade of manufacture.
Where should I place a games table at home?
A games table functions effectively as a console or side table against a wall when the top is closed. This showcases the wood grain and marquetry without taking up excessive floor space.
Positioning the table in a reception room allows the top to unfold easily when guests gather for an evening of cards or board games.