Neoclassical games table, a full hand of elegance

Dutch inlaid rosewood games table – Lodewijk XVI style, last quarter of the 18th century

In the late 18th century, in the refined Dutch cities, the Neoclassical taste – locally interpreted in the Lodewijk XVI style – brought a new sense of restraint to furniture: straight lines, balanced proportions, and harmonious geometry. It was in this context that this games table was created, designed to accompany moments of leisure and conversation, when the pleasure of company intertwined with the grace of good manners.

Veneered in rosewood and inlaid with boxwood in a regular pattern of stylised botanical motifs – slender tendrils, elongated leaves, and small, understated flowers – all framed by fine stringing that defines the profiles. The slender, well-proportioned structure rests on tapered, Louis XVI-style legs, whose natural elegance lends visual lightness to the whole.

The fold-over top opens to reveal its original green baize, soft and silent, ready to receive cards, counters, and the ritual of the game. A rear leg with a gate support mechanism holds one half of the open top, while a shallow frieze drawer once kept the essential accessories for play.

This was no country piece: it belonged to a cultured and prosperous household, where games were not merely pastimes but occasions for meeting, strategy, and conversation. Its discreet presence, never ostentatious, speaks of an age when elegance was expressed through proportion and the quality of detail.

Today, it survives in excellent condition, entirely original, expertly restored, strengthened, cleaned, and French-polished, preserving the patina that time has left as a mark of authenticity.

 

  • Condition: Restored
  • Period: Ultimo quarto del '700
  • Style: Louis XVI
  • State: Optimal conditions

CUP G79J20003880007