Antique games boxes (also know as games compendiums) were primarily used in the 18th and 19th centuries to store multiple,  often high-end parlor games in one compact, portable, and decorative case. These  kept essential pieces for chess, backgammon, draughts, whist, and cards organized for social entertainment and lesiure, particularly in affluent Victorian homes.

 

Coromandel wood, also known as calamander, is a dense, hard, and heavy hardwood with a distinctive black and hazel-brown striped pattern. It is a type of variegated ebony, closely related to ebony. The wood is native to India and Sri Lanka, and due to over-harvesting, it’s nearly extinct. Coromandel was used for high-end furniture, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, often for veneers, crossbanding, and smaller decorative elements.