The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Louis XIII (b. 1601, r. 1610-43), King of France, as youth

Art Object

Unfolding an Eighteenth-Century Gaming Table

This finely crafted piece of furniture has a secret. Swing out a leg, adjust an arm, and voilà! Leaves unfold to reveal multiple configurations: a felt surface for card games, a game board for chess or checkers, a desk with a leather writing surface and book rest. Tug at a hidden latch, and a spring-driven backgammon board pops up.

The brainchild of German cabinetmaker David Roentgen (1743–1807), this sophisticated gaming table once graced the intimate interior of an aristocratic European home. The exquisite piece was not only convenient for entertaining guests, but it was also portable—its legs unscrew so it can easily be packed and moved.

This 3-D animation of the table demonstrates its different configurations and illuminates its concealed features, including drawers for tucking away personal items and compartments for storing game pieces.

See Collections to learn more about this table.

This table is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
(00:00:52)

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 11562 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 18147 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3152 views

Louis XIII (b. 1601, r. 1610-43), King of France, as youth

Medalist: Guillaume Dupré (French, 1574–1642)

Date:: 1610
Culture:: French
Medium:: Gilt bronze
Dimensions:: H. 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.); W. 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)
Classification:: Medals and Plaquettes
Credit Line:: Gift of James Hazen Hyde, 1948
Accession Number:: 48.90.6

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 532

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Signature: (below tranche of shoulder on obverse) G.DVPRE.F.1610

Inscription: (in margin) LVDOVIC[us].XIII.D[ei].G[ratia].REX.CHR[istianissimus].GALL[iae].ET.NAVAR[rae].HENR[ici].MAGNI.FIL[ius].P[ius].F[elix].AVG[ustus] (Louis XIII, most Christian King, by the grace of God, of France and Navarre, pious serene emperor, son of Henry the Great); reverse: (in margin) ORIENS.AVGVSTI.TVTRICE.MINERVA (The rising son of Augustus with his guardian Minerva); (at bottom) ANN[o].NAT[ivtatis].CHR[isti]. CIO IO CX (In the year of Christ's birth MDCX)
Provenance

James Hazen Hyde (until 1948; to MMA)
See also
Who
Guillaume Dupré (26)
What
Metal (59,497)

Sculpture (24,340)

Copper alloy (16,676)

Bronze (11,668)

Gilt (9,077)

Medals (3,077)

Plate (2,673)

Plaquettes (2,084)

Ormolu (1,683)
Where
Europe (150,419)

France (49,644)
When
A.D. 1600-1800 (67,116)
In the Museum
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (43,228)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Ceramics in the French Renaissance

Pastoral Charms in the French Renaissance

France, 1600–1800 A.D.
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Unfolding an Eighteenth-Century Gaming Table

Louis XIII (b. 1601, r. 1610-43), King of France, as youth

Medalist: Guillaume Dupré (French, 1574–1642)

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Unfolding an Eighteenth-Century Gaming Table

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Louis XIII (b. 1601, r. 1610-43), King of France, as youth

Medalist: Guillaume Dupré (French, 1574–1642)

Met Media

Met Kids

Met Store