House of the Dragon: What Are The Balls On The Table?

After a painfully long wait, House of the Dragon is finally here! It has everything Game of Thrones fans could want and is packed full of interesting characters and intriguing small details. One thing that has puzzled many viewers, however, are the stone balls on the Small Council’s table. So, what are the balls on the table in House of the Dragon?

Before we get into that, it’s important to explain the context of House of the Dragon within the wider Game of Thrones universe.

House of the Dragon takes place almost 200 years before its predecessor. The new prequel series follows the heyday of the House Targaryen, back when they were the rulers of Westeros and sat on the Iron Throne at King’s Landing.

The House Targaryen is led by patriarch King Viserys I. The series begins with his ascension to the throne before skipping forward nine years into his reign. As the show explains, this is 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.

As was a common feature in Game of Thrones, the King leads Small Council meetings in the Red Keep with his key advisors.

But House of the Dragon‘s Small Council meetings do something slightly different. Small stone/marble balls are placed in front of each Small Council member in a dish.

And this has caused many viewers to wonder “What are the balls on the table in House of the Dragon“? Thankfully, we have the answer!

What are the balls on the table in House of the Dragon?

The coloured stone balls are never directly mentioned in the show. However, it is fairly self-explanatory when you think about it.

What are the balls on the table in House of the Dragon? The balls on the Small Council table in House of the Dragon represent when each member is present at the meeting. The idea came from set decorator Claire Nie Richards and production designer Jim Clay.

That’s according to The Hollywood Reporter, who shared Richards’ explanation: “It represented the council coming in and being part of the meeting,”

Apparently, showrunner Ryan Codel liked the suggestion. He provided his own justification for having the stone balls on the table.

“Everybody shows up for work and they ‘punch in,’… I thought it was really cool. It’s a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber. It’s enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world.”

Ryan Condal, showrunner, House of the Dragon

So, there you have it. Now you have an answer to the question “what are the balls on the table for in House of the Dragon?”

They’re simply an interesting little addition to the table setting which signify the presence of each council member.

What did you think will happen next in House of the Dragon? Do you enjoy the Small Council scenes? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…