Large Parcheesi Board with Exuberant Paint Decoration

Circa Early 20th Century: The gameboards published in Selby Shaver and Tim Chambers' seminal 2001 volume The Art of the Game have become iconic examples, and these boards rarely surface on the open market. This skillfully executed 22" x 31" eight color Parcheesi board is plate 124 in the book and was obviously made by a professional sign painter or carriage decorator as so many of the finest gameboards tend to be. This board has a scarce yellow ground and an especially beautiful autumnal color scheme that reminds one of the fiery tones of Indian Summer. We contacted Mr. Chambers to see if he remembered any of the history of the board, and he mentioned that Selby Shaver originally purchased the gameboard from a Canadian seller. We often see turn of the century Canadian checkerboards of this size and shape; so this board was likely made in Canada or in the extreme northern United States along the Canadian border. Condition is generally excellent with a small section of molding missing from the bottom corner as photgraphed and other typical use history that speaks to the honesty of the board's surface and its great age. This is a great opportunity to own a well known published example from one of the greatest gameboard collections ever assembled.