The hot water bottle table: definition

The bouillotte table takes its name from the game of "bouillotte ," a type of poker that was very popular during the reign of Louis XVI. This game was played on a small round table or a pedestal table with a marble top.

 

The story of the hot water bottle table

The bouillotte is a circular game table with a white marble top. A stopper can be inserted for playing cards. Late 18th-century models remain the best known. This circular table, crafted from various types of wood, opens at the top with drawers and sometimes pull-out slides. It rests on four tapered, fluted or veneered legs, sometimes with a stretcher. Period bouillotte tables all had barrel-shaped casters.

The bouillotte table is also called a bouillotte pedestal table . It has spanned all styles and, well after Louis XVI, can be found in the interiors of high-ranking officials and the bourgeoisie of the 19th century, often adorned with small objects.

 

Rare Louis XVI style bouillotte table with wood marquetry decoration, with its original stopper, circa 1880

 

The hot water bottle lamp

Did you know? A light fixture also owes its name to this famous game from the reign of Louis XVI: it's the bouillotte lamp . To illuminate the players gathered around the pedestal table with its marble top, a gilt bronze lamp with an adjustable sheet metal shade was placed on the table. This light fixture, called the "bouillotte lamp," was very popular and was later used as a desk lamp or bedside lamp.