An Ottoman gaming table attributable to Abdulhamid II (1876-1909), Turkey, circa 1900

of rectangular form, standing on four cylindrical legs connected by a stretcher forming symmetrical cusped arches embellished with a carved wooden sprinkler to the centre, the side panels carved into a row of niches backed with thin repoussé copper separated by pillars in high relief, the table top sides decorated with a hyroglyphic copper band, the top decorated with an inlaid and gilded interlacing geometric border with the tughra of Abdulhamid II to the centre, folding open to reveal a leather-covered gaming board with inner and outer floral borders and large storage cavity beneath 

ex-French private collection

very minor scuffs and scratches to extremities, some restoration around the tughra on the table top, in very good overall condition, as viewed
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Not only was Sultan Abdülhamid II the proficient ruler of the Ottoman Empire for over thirty years (1876-1909) but he was also a master carpenter, dedicating much of his free time to constructing superb pieces of furniture.  During his reign he established a court atelier in the Yildiz Palace and employed many skilled craftsmen who collaborated with the sultan.  Many examples of his work are on display in the Yildiz and Dolmabahce Palaces, Istanbul (see Dolmabahce Sarayi, Istanbul, 2005, p.138).  These solid and unpretentious pieces share a common decorative style which reflects the sultan's modest, meticulous character.  Pieces attributed to Abdülhamid II either bear fine mother-of-pearl inlay or display a pan-Islamic character that usually combines various styles with sensible Egyptian influence.

The present gaming table, which both bears the tughra of Abdülhamid II and displays the common aesthetical and technical features of his art, can surely be attributed to the sultan himself.