Games

O. Gibert, c.1850, Fifty-two cards (complete), of which sixteen are mounted as a group and framed and glazed, comprising four suits of thirteen (national suits), each with pip cards 1-10 (printed in black and red), and three hand-colour court cards featuring French historical nobility, Very slightly dusty, versos pale blue, square corners, 86 x 57mm (3.25 x 2.35ins). For similar sets refer to Hoffmann, p.35 [illust. 52(b)]; Tilley, p.161PROVENANCE : Ex Libris the late Jaime Ortiz-Patino {d.2013} President Emeritus World Bridge Federation.

Printed in color and housed in a tiny leather case framed in brass, the upper side forms a latch with a brass link. Each suit is complete with thirteen cards for each one plus two Jokers. The leather tab that forms the latch is a little tender, else a fine and unique set.

n.d., c. mid-20th C. Anyone For A Game of Backgammon, Finely Bound?[BACKGAMMON]. [Folding Backgammon Board in the Form of a Finely Bound Book, The History of England]. N.p.: n.p., n.d. [c. mid-20th century). Folding box as two folio faux volumes of The History of England, richly bound in full blue-green morocco, spines extravagantly gilt, boards onlaid with brown and blue-green morocco in checkerboard pattern with gilt fillets and ornaments. The interior is onlaid with dark blue, tan, and white morocco, with gilt borders, dentelles, and ornaments, to form a backgammon board. The outer edges of the box are marbled. Included is a matching leather cylinder case housing the backgammon counters... (15 red, 15 white) and dice (two sets and one doubling die). The cylinder case, when pulled opened, becomes two shakers. Spines mildly sunned. An unusual and beautiful game board in fine condition.Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits. Backgammon is a member of the tables family, one of the oldest classes of board games in the world. Although luck is involved and factors into the outcome, strategy plays a more important role in the long run. With each roll of the dice, players must choose from numerous options for moving their checkers and anticipate possible counter-moves by the opponent. Players may raise the stakes during the game. There is an established repertoire of common tactics and occurrences. Like chess, backgammon has been studied with great interest by computer scientists. Owing to this research, backgammon software has been developed capable of beating world-class human players. (Wikipedia). more