Louis XVI Style Roulette Games Table, 1900s

Antique roulette table in Louis XVI style

France
Mahogany
early 20th century

Dimensions: H x W x D: 78 x 101 x 60 cm

:
Formally restrained piece of furniture with brass fittings and fine brass inlays, standing on fluted round legs that taper downwards.

The rectangular table has a drawer at the front, which also serves as a support surface for the table top, which can be pulled out in opposite directions and folded open. The drawer itself is not only used to store the roulette wheel, playing cards and dice, but also functions as a tric-trac or backgammon board.

with the table top folded out, the piece of furniture can be used as a roulette table for a casino evening at home, with the wheel in the centre and playing fields on both sides.
The roulette wheel is turned from wood and fitted with a galvanised steel insert with chrome-plated mounting. The spinning function works perfectly.
The wheel was probably made by the Parisian toy and casino accessories manufacturer J.A.J. This is supported by the numbering on the underside of the wheel, which was common for larger manufacturers, as well as the enclosed J.A.J. roulette game instructions. The instructions explicitly refer to the form of roulette used in Monte Carlo with only one zero ("roulette à un seul zéro"), thus creating a distinction between European and American roulette (with two zeros). The typography of the game instructions and the technical and stylistic design of the accessories suggest that the table was created or used during the Belle Époque period in the early 20th century.
The roulette playing fields on both sides were added at a later date. The surrounding gold-embossed decorative frame suggests that there was originally a green leather surface within this border. This was presumably removed due to signs of wear or heavier signs of use and replaced by the roulette cloths present today.

Included and presumably original to the table are two leather dice cups with five dice typical of the period and a complete 32-sheet deck of lithographed playing cards. Also included, but not original to the table, are 13 light and 13 dark Tric-Trac playing pieces.

Condition: Refurbished, very good and fully functional condition.