4 Color Checkers Board on Mustard Ground

Circa 1900: This unusual 22.5" x 15" checkers game was painted on an old lap board, a testament to the utilitarian nature of folk art gameboards themselves. This style of board with keepers on either end was popular right around the turn of the twentieth century and, when combined with the paint colors used and the finely crazed surface we love to see, we can date the board to that general time period. Because of the crisp lines, thin black border around the game itself (and on the simple old mill game on the reverse side), and the neat grain painted keepers, we can surmise that the maker of this appealing board was more than likely a professional sign or carriage painter. The attractive faux grain painted keepers and the black squares and borders atop the classic mustard ground give the board a complexly modern feel, making it something that would be at home in either a contemporary or an antique setting.