What is an occasional games table?

An occasional games table is a small piece of furniture designed to perform daily domestic tasks like holding lamps or tea while containing hidden boards or folding tops for pastimes like chess and cards. These hybrid pieces became especially popular during the nineteenth century, allowing households to maximise space in drawing rooms and parlours without sacrificing entertainment options.

How do fold-over games tables work?

Fold-over tables typically feature a hinged top that opens like a book to double the surface area, resting on a pivoting leg or a rear gateleg action for support. Opening the top often reveals a concealed storage well beneath for storing playing cards, counters, and dice sets.

How do I identify a Victorian games table?

Victorian examples frequently showcase figured timbers like burr walnut and rosewood, often featuring heavy carved pedestals, platform bases, and inlaid wooden chequerboards. Many incorporate fitted interiors with compartments or delicate marquetry work characteristic of mid to late nineteenth-century cabinetmaking.

Where were bouillotte tables used?

Bouillotte tables originated in France and served as compact card tables for playing the game of bouillotte during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Their raised brass galleries prevented chips and cards from sliding off the marble top onto the floor during play.

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Occasional Games Table

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An occasional games table combines daily domestic utility with dedicated playing surfaces, offering clever folding leaves and inlaid boards for chess, cards, and checkers.