Featured Stock: Antique Card Tables
Browse and learn more about our quality card tables.
The weather is getting colder and we are spending more time indoors, so we have just the antiques for you. Perhaps you are looking to spend a little less time in front of the television or scrolling the socials, and are looking for something a touch more wholesome for your evening entertainment. Well, ditch the screens and pick up a pack of cards! We have a superb stock of quality card tables exuding both function and style (just please don’t flip them over if you lose!). Scroll on to read a little history on these interesting pieces:
Card tables have been around for a long time. We first saw these pieces develop in early 18th century, where they took a basic form consisting of rectangular tops folded in half. When opened the top would be supported by legs that would swing out, providing a stable and even surface. The thin green wool felt that we most often see is known as baize, was the ideal textile as it was smooth yet textured enough for good grip on the cards. The corners of these tables sometimes featured carved wells for holding candles and guinea wells for money or counters. See the below example:
Moving into the Neo-Classical period, card tables became increasingly popular and their decoration became more elaborate. As the period progressed you can see more intricate decoration including marquetry and cross-banding, and more inventive features such as hidden drawers and trays, more unique mechanisms that opened the tables, and more elaborate/varied shaped tops.
As we shifted into the Regency period and Victorian era, the demand for card tables further increased. With growing wealth, with a larger middle and middle upper class, and more leisure time, the playing of cards and the use of fine tables to play them on were all the rage.
Their popularity declined in the Edwardian era, butthanks to the great demand in previous eras it means that there is a great selection of card tables available to us today. Their quality, form, and quirky function make them ideal for our eclectic contemporary interiors. We are lucky to have a few pairs in stock, and when closed and pushed against a wall they can give the ideal symmetry for a room – whether you want to use them as card tables or leaved them closed.
Below you will see card tables that are ordered chronologically ordered from oldest (circa 1760) to newest (circa 1920). Enjoy browsing and we hope you find something of interest. Just click the images to view the full listings. If anything catches your eye be sure to get in touch, we will be delighted to assist.
