Infamous Albemarle Club Gaming Table For Sale
Filed under: Auctions
The beautiful card table shown above has quite the decadent history. This antique games table was made for the Albemarle Club in London. The Albemarle Club was a private members' club founded in 1874 and open to both men and women. The club is most famous in the annals of history for being involved in the scandal that eventually led to Oscar Wilde's persecution. It was at this club where, in 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry burst in, demanding to see Oscar Wilde, who was a member of the club. The marquis left his calling card with a note "For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite" (sic), then a criminal accusation. Wilde claimed libel but was later prosecuted and faced prison and exile. The episode and resulting fall-out doomed his writing career and he eventually died in Paris at the age of 46.
The table is with New Orleans-based M.S. Rau Antiques and was made with Cuban mahogany and satinwood inlays. There is an elaborate key mechanism, inscribed "The Albemarle Club," at the center of the table. It has a series of locks that can only be opened by a set of brass keys. Six keys correspond to individual drawers on the table, and one large master key opens all six. The drawers contain game pieces and boards and each serves as a gaming station with its own sliding cocktail glass support and a compartment to store its own brass key. There aren't too many tables in the world like this and the listed price of $175,000 reflects the perfect blend of craftsmanship and exceptional provenance.
[via Art Fix Daily]
How Kidnapping Suspect Passes Time Behind Bars
Chili's Waitress Fired Over Facebook Post Insulting 'Stupid Cops'
12 Common Workout Myths Debunked
Billboard Music Awards: Worst Dressed (or Most Daring?) From Past Red Carpets
Forbidden America: Cold War-Era Map Shows No-Go Zones For Soviet Tourists
Courtney Stodden Has A Sex Tape
HSBC Plans 14,000 More Job Cuts
Man Takes Dump In Background Of Instructional Workout Video
Police Investigate Student Shooting Death
Tenants: Stench of Death Makes St. Louis Complex 'Unlivable'
Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android 4.2
Radio Host Makes Shocking Claim About Shooting Hillary Clinton
Taylor Swift Q and A: What Does She Splurge on in Las Vegas?
Ricardo Cerezo, Facing Eviction, Finds $4.85 Million Lottery Ticket
These American Companies Refused To Sign The Bangladesh Safety Accord
Forever 21 Worker Fired After She Tells Her Traumatic Story
Marine Reunited With Four-Legged Friend
Powerball Jackpot Winning Ticket Purchased In Florida
LOOK: There's Something Wrong With This Picture
Teen Who Died During Her First Solo Drive May Have Been Texting
PHOTO: Looking Good! Chaz Bono Loses 65 Pounds
PREGNANT!
Former OJ Attorney Gives Shocking Testimony
Waitress Surprised With HUGE Tip On Tiny Bill
PHOTO: Rob Kardashian Takes A Hike
McDonald's Store Owners Fear Fast Food Chain Becoming Too Slow
Will Smith, Jaden Smith Get Photobombed
Guess Which State Boasts The Most Million-Dollar Homes?
New Leads In Case Of Missing British Girl
Student Shot Dead During Botched Home Invasion
Pictures Showing Pregnant Teens' Bumps Banned From Yearbook
The Afterlife Of Andy Kaufman