Backgammon
“The only athletic sport I ever mastered was backgammon”
– Douglas William Jerrold (English dramatist and writer)
Backgammon is one of the oldest two player board games and finds its origins in the Roman and Byzantine Empires in the 5th century AD.
By the 18th century, backgammon had become a popular with society gamblers and it was also a status symbol – as a means of advertising a surplus of disposable wealth. The upper classes also considered such games instructive and encouraged their children to play, in turn, developing their numeric skills.
In addition to the aesthetic beauty of antique furniture, I have always been interested in pieces which have a secret story, for instance, mirrors which have hung for centuries in grand houses, reflecting social and political discourse through the ages, and gaming furniture which is also loaded with history such as this tric trac table. Made more than two hundred years ago, it would have belonged to wealthy men and would have been passed down from generation to generation, providing a means of the exchange of vast sums of money in games of backgammon and cards. This table may have seen the financial destruction of many unfortunate players whilst transforming the lives of others to tremendous riches at the throw of a dice.
This table is made from finely figured mahogany, ebony veneers and ivory inlay. Its form is pure and classical and the only decoration is provided by the striking internal inlay. While not playing backgammon, the top can be fitted for cards (baize side up); or in reverse with its leather surface, as a writing table.
