Antique French Walnut Backgammon Board: Marquetry Chess, Circa 1900

This is a lovely example of a late 19th century French backgammon board. A fine dark-walnut backgammon game probably dating from around 1900, it is almost certainly a 'Maison Arthaud, Paris' board since it bears all of their hall-marks : dove-tailed joinery, beautiful apparent brass hinges, and the clever recessed area around the closing mechanism. Inexplicably at some point someone had removed the 'Maison Arthaud' brass plaque, leaving an empty cut-out in the wood. I have somewhat cheekily covered this imperfection with a brass plaque from BeautifulBackgammon (I can remove this and fill the space if you prefer). This is a full-size board measuring (open), 73 cms (29”) long, by 52 cms (21”) wide. The outer surface of the board has a beautiful marquetry (inlaid wood) chess board. There is some light damage to the chess squares at the edge of the chess board (clearly visible in the photos) and what appears to be a wine stain on some squares - but overall this game is in extremely good condition for its age. My philosophy is not to 'over restore' these historic boards if possible, as I believe that much of their charm lies in the wrinkles that bear testament to the busy lives they have lived. The game has been gently refurbished, and this time I did choose to replace the original baize playing surface - which had a bad red wine stain. The new classic dark green baize playing surface is custom-made for me by an artisan in Belgium from 100% Merino wool - and the 'points' are embroidered in ochre and black silk thread. The quality of her craftsmanship is quite remarkable … and the 'slide' of the backgammon 'stones' is delightful. (Fun fact : It then takes me a full day to remove the old baize, clean and prepare the surfaces - and then precision-cut and fit the new baize playing surface in place). The turned playing pieces are 2” (5cm) diameter and made from French boxwood and have the beautiful grain and patina that comes from hundreds of games played. (Fun fact : Boxwood is an exceptionally hard wood, that was also used to make the early French 'boules'). The two hand-stitched leather dice cups also have a terrific patina from generations of use. This set comes complete with two sets of tasteful modern dice (I can swap these for antique dice at no charge if you prefer - but please bear in mind that these are inevitably somewhat smaller and almost always slightly irregular as they were made by hand). As is normal with antique games of this age there are some signs of usage and wear but it is very rare to find a full-size game of this antiquity in such good condition. The hinges and closing mechanisms are all original, made from brass, and in perfect working order. (If you are interested in chess pieces to match this board, please see 'CHESS PIECES' lower down on this page).

Since I started restoring antique and vintage backgammon boards during the Covid lockdown in early 2020 I’ve sold over 500 of my games to connoisseurs in South Africa, Sweden, Hong Kong, Scotland, the Balearic Islands, Canada, Australia, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Monaco, Mauritius, England, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and of course my home-country, France ... but also in New York, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Alabama, Virginia, Colorado, Tennessee, Washington state, New Hampshire, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, California, Oregon, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Georgia, Alaska and Puerto Rico. My clients include minor European royalty; national and international backgammon champions; people who can’t play backgammon; British, Austrian, Italian and French aristocracy … and an awful lot of people who just love to play backgammon on these beautiful, historically-charged boards. In addition to the 150+ verified 5-star reviews here on my site, I will happily provide you with contact details for some of my private clients if you so wish.

NOTA : I usually have a variety of vintage instruction / rules booklets, for backgammon and jacquet, in French or English - please ask if you would like me to include one, free of charge, with your game. CHESS PIECES : I do not keep a stock of matching chess pieces to go with my backgammon boards - but I know someone who does ! If you are interested in vintage or antique chess pieces to match your board I will happily introduce you to a friend, who is also based in Europe. He is to antique chess pieces - what I am to antique backgammon. Please feel free to send me a message and I'll be happy to put you in touch directly. DELIVERY : Please note that within France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and some other European countries my usual shipper is Mondial Relay which normally delivers to a 'collection point' (Relay Point) close to your home. For the rest of the world, I generally use FedEx, and the norm is home delivery. I can offer expedited delivery to most destinations. If you don't see this option please message me and I'll give you a rapid quote. INSURANCE : Please note that I do not automatically insure my boards for shipping above the 50€ minimum international cover. My shipper is highly reliable and I very rarely have issues, but accidents can always happen. If you would like me to insure your purchase to its full value there will be a small charge. Please let me know by message and I will set this up.