Bet you've never seen one of these before. Ever! This is a very peculiar civil war era billiard game table built by The J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co. in the 1860s to stimulate patronage in their finer billiard rooms. This model of table is called a "Parepa" table. The game is played with 10 small balls, plus a cue ball. We have a slightly later (early 1900s) set of balls that goes with the table. The idea is to "bank" balls into small, leather-edged, variously-numbered door-way type openings at the foot end of the table. The slant of the "building" at the foot end demands the balls be banked in. Rather difficult actually. When the balls are pocketed, they run down long wood troughs underneath its felt covered WOOD BED...yes...wood bed...and are then deposited in cubby-holes (by your waist) that are also numbered to coincide with the orifice you just pocketed the ball into. That's how you keep score. It has walnut railtops (no diamonds - which is original), and a rosewood veneered case with rosewood legs. We just put new cushions and dark green felt on it. The bed has been re-lined with masonite to make it play flawlessly, which can be easily removed if you like. That's entirely up to you. This fabulous old relic, still looking fantastic, really should be in a museum. It's a 4 1/2' x 9' table - (FULL SIZED - in other words), so you need the same sized area to play on it as you do for a regulation 9' pool table. We've dealt in Victorian billiard tables and accessories for more 36 years and have never seen another one of these specific tables. The tower - where the balls disappear into - and the collector tray at the shooter's end, both have outstanding original gold leaf graphics! This is a spectacular piece, and I can pretty much guarantee you, you'll never see another one. Remember...it's circa 1860s! Thanks for looking.
