A coffee-table object that happens to have rules.
White marble, 17cm square and 5cm high, with gold accents. Left alone it reads as a small piece of stone on a stack of books. Picked up, it is noughts and crosses — a game everyone already knows, so there is nothing to explain, nothing to set up and no box to go looking for.
Most decorative objects ask only to be looked at. This one is the thing people reach for when they sit down.
How to place something 17cm square and 5cm high
A coffee table arrangement works on three heights: something tall (a lamp, stems, a 30cm vase), something mid (a stack of two or three books, roughly 6–8cm), and something low. This is the low element — and at 5cm it needs help to be seen. Sit it on the book stack rather than flat on the table and it lands at the right level.
On a 30cm tray it covers a little over half the width, which leaves room for a candle beside it: a complete vignette in two objects.
Away from the lounge it holds a hall console, a shelf between book stacks, a desk, or a guest room where you want the surfaces to look occupied rather than staged.
It is stone, so treat it like stone
The marble is natural, so the veining and tone differ from set to set — yours will not be an exact match for the photograph.
It is also porous. Keep drinks off the board, blot anything that spills, and keep vinegar, lemon and abrasive cleaners well away: acid etches the polish permanently and abrasives dull the gold. The playing pieces are small — count them back onto the board after a game and keep the set out of reach of small children and pets.
Specifications
Dimensions
17cm (L) × 17cm (W) × 5cm (H)
Material
White marble with gold accents
Game
Noughts and crosses (tic tac toe), board and playing pieces
Suits
Coffee table, entry console, shelf, desk
Care
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Blot spills as they happen. No vinegar, no lemon, no bleach, no abrasive cleaners — acid etches marble and abrasives dull the gold.