I first picked this up because I liked it as a box--old, wooden, and with lots of character--but I really fell in love when I opened it to find this beautiful backgammon board inside! Clearly invested with a lot of care, the game board features inlaid blonde wood for the "points" (the elongated triangles), and then wonderful decorative forms down the middle: windmill-like shapes at the center of each side, one of them composed entirely of a blonde wood, the other alternating wood and what appears to be horn; and then these terrific bone medallions (round on one side, square on the other) with black and red details (I honestly can't tell how the black and red were achieved). It has been a while since I played backgammon, but this is really making me want to find a couple of old leather arms chairs to set near a fire place, pour some scotch, and spend the winter playing!
The box and board are in very good structural condition and the hinges firmly attached. The exterior of the box shows age and wear--the finish is well worn is spots, there is plenty of light scratching, there are a couple of thin splits in the surface of the wood on one side, and there is a chip in the wood at one corner. The interior is in very good condition, with some wear to the wood and finish and a couple of white spots near the center of one side. All this adds up to a beautiful, one-of-a-kind box and board with great character and many years of play left in it. One could also certainly put a hanger on the exterior and hang it open on the wall--really striking.
Dimensions when closed are 18 3/4" long x 10 3/4" wide x 4 1/2" tall. (So when open it measures approx 18 3/4" x 21 1/2 x 2 1/4". Dice and checkers not included but easy to find.
