Rare antique mahogany backgammon and drafts board, late 1800s

This 130 year-old game is one of the most elegant I have seen. A beautiful late 19th century French mahogany backgammon game. It is a mid-size board measuring (open), 56 cms (22”) long, by 44 cms (17 1/2”) wide. The outer surface of the board has a lovely marquetry (inlaid wood) drafts board, which is in good condition. The hinges and closing mechanisms are brass and also in fine condition. The playing pieces (or 'stones') are some of the most beautiful I have seen. They are 45 mm (1 1/2”) diameter and have the beautiful patina that comes from over a century of play. As you can see in the photos, there are 20 of each colour - so enough to also play drafts. The two matching leather dice cups have the terrific finish that generations of use imparts. This set comes complete with two sets of dice from a later period (antique dice are available if preferred at no extra cost, but please bear in mind that they are inevitably a little smaller and often slightly irregular as they were carved and marked, by hand). This game has been fully restored, and this time I chose to replace the original baize playing surface, which had serious moth damage. The new playing surface is custom-made for me by a young artisan in Belgium - in this case from a midnight blue Merino wool - and the 'points' are embroidered in mallard green and gold silk thread. The quality of her craftsmanship is remarkable and the slide of the pieces is perfect. (Fun fact : It then takes me a full day to remove the old playing surface, thoroughly clean and prepare the surfaces - and then precision-cut and fit the new baize in place). Intriguingly, when I stripped out the ancient felt playing surface it revealed a beautiful pencilled signature, 'Donnay' (see photo) and '10 May'. Cabinet-makers sometimes playfully signed their work in this way ... and the Internet tells me that there was indeed a cabinet maker called Louis Donnay, active in the late C19th. But I leave it to the future owner to go further down that particular rabbit-hole ...

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 damage during shipping. My shippers are 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.