The game of tables, or backgammon, was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. There were 15 counters to each side, and 12th century boards inlaid with bone sections have been excavated at Gloucester and Saint-Denis. About 250 Romanesque tablemen with figurative designs survive. The game was popular throughout Northern Europe and the pieces were made in a number of different centres, with the most productive workshops based in Northern France and Cologne.
They are to be found in most museums with archaeological collections and difficult to date because of their simple ornament and the unchanging nature of their design.

Elephant and walrus ivory and whalebone are prepared for carving by removing the outer layer, known as the ‘husk’ or ‘cementum’ (see below). The tusk is then sawn into the appropriate shape for a figure or relief. The carver uses small knives, chisels, gouges and files, very similar to those used for wood carving. After polishing, ivory can be stained or partially painted or gilded.