Antique loo tables

A widely used term in the Australian antique trade describing a Victorian tilt-top on a pedestal base originally designed for thecard game Lanterloo or Loo, a 17th-century trick taking game of the

trump family of which many varieties are recorded.  Usually round or oval in shape, the top could be tilted vertically when not in use and the table pushed to one corner of the room. English versions are usually veneered in highly figured walnut, rosewood, mahogany, often with cross banding and stringing. In Australia, the form was much simpler with construction of Australia, cedar. The top, when horizontal, was held in place by brass thumbscrews fixed to the pedestal block. The term derives from a card game 'lanterloo' introduced to England from France during the early 19th century.

Quality can vary significantly in loo tables, and in the lesser examples the veneers are not so well more... figured, construction is lighter, and bases are of plainer design. Check for bubbling veneer, and patches where the veneer has lifted and disappeared. Often the damage occurs in the centre of the table, where a vase has leaked, and if there is inlay in the area, effective repair is almost impossible. less...