Skittles, devil amonst the tailors-00772 by A Kent & Cleal game

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Two pub tables in American cherry and maple and American walnut and ash were created for the Wallpaper* Handmade Exhibition at Milan Design Week 2012. The game involves nine small skittles arranged in a 3 × 3 square, usually on a raised plinth within a shallow open-topped wooden tray, about 2 x 2½ feet in size, sitting on a table-top. It's only when you get the chance to play on a sturdy board like this that a full appreciation of the skill of the game can be gained. This table has seen a fair bit of afternoon skittling action in my local pub, The George at Ashley in Northamptonshire, but has now been sold. General surface wear throughout the table top from the iron top striking and spinning on the table top; light surface wear throughout, much of it oxidized and part of the overall patina, notably one side of the table presents with an area of more distracting abrading and scratches and the molding along the underside of the apron edge is missing below that abrasion; losses to moldings on the legs in a few areas (many of these smoothed down and colored to match the surface); table top is designed to be loose from the frame for easy transport; light wear to the gilding on the figures and gallery; the string and handle are perhaps replaced, all other elements apparently being original.

Generally, it must be said that the profession of the tailor was often mocked in the 18 th century, as tailoring was regarded as ‘unmanly’ or ‘women’s work’. It is likely that the game emerged between 1675 and 1783 and surged in popularity during the 1920s and 1930s before waning again. Ideal for a study or a spacious library, this Skittles and Top game table is not only a challenging and engaging pastime but also a striking decorative piece. Handmade is a testimony to great design, talent and ideas, and the determination to achieve the extraordinary.Beautifully made by Benchmark and designed by aberrant architecture, these playful tables were a highlight of the exhibition. Aside from the equipment and the location on a table top, the rules are pretty much the same as skittles with the maximum theoretical score in one turn being 27 points. It is also the name of a game in which each player spins a spinning top with a string, to knock down skittles, earning points for doing so.

The De'il amang the tailors a Scottish fiddle tune, a reel played for the dance of the same name and also for the Eightsome Reel. The four candles (Tailors) were all fused together and as they were the same, burnt down at the same rate, with the centre on igniting the mine (Devil). It is also featured in the Malcolm in the Middle episode "Therapy," in which Dewey exhibits a surprising talent for the game. The studio has established a reputation for playful, provocative and interactive projects that use architecture and design to introduce new and unexpected ways of experiencing the world.The worn patina of the table positively glows under the silky surface, a testament to more than a century of bringing great joy to families and friends. As Mortartube says, these were a British style of firework, rather than Oriental, despite the lack of touchpaper. Devil Amongst The Tailors, sometimes known as Table or Bar Skittles, is one of the most accessible and fun of all the traditional pub games.

Not sure what the candle effects were - simply a few animated or coloured stars, as were popular in the Standard range in those days. The game can be seen in a pub setting in the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night at the 1 hour 4 minute mark. A very fine old table can be played at the Stag Inn, Kimberley in Nottinghamshire, which I hope to photograph (and play) at some point in the near future. It seemed that this item was very popular among each of the different British firework manufacturers.In the rare example where a two-life turn produces two draws, house rules apply but it is suggested that the next turn simply carries on in the standard two-life fashion. It's more that playing the game in a quiet bar can cause quite a disturbance as the pins rattle down onto hard wood, so padding like that shown above is often desirable if not essential. I was lucky enough to have some offcuts of Mahogany which have done the job, though strictly speaking the pins shown here are a little too stout for serious league play.