{"product_id":"exceptional-1928-handmade-italian-checkers-board-calalzo-di-cadore","title":"Exceptional 1928 Handmade Italian Checkers Board – Calalzo di Cadore","description":"\u003cp\u003eA remarkable and highly decorative handmade checkers game crafted in the Italian Alps during the interwar period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEntirely made and pierced by hand, this beautiful wooden game board originates from \u003cstrong\u003eCalalzo di Cadore\u003c\/strong\u003e, in the Belluno province of the Dolomites, a region renowned for its long tradition of woodcarving and folk craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe board is richly adorned with openwork scrollwork and numerous \u003cstrong\u003efleur-de-lys motifs\u003c\/strong\u003e, repeated across the playing surface and on the original white playing pieces. Beneath the board, a practical drawer system with original compartments stores the complete set of counters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn original handwritten inscription appears on the board: \u003cstrong\u003e\"Lavoro a Mano\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"Handmade\"), proudly certifying its artisanal creation. Additional handwritten inscriptions record its place of origin and date:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCalalzo di Cadore – Agosto 1928\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emaking this an authentic nearly century-old survivor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003eDetails\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🔹 Origin: Calalzo di Cadore (Belluno, Italy)\u003cbr\u003e🔹 Date: August 1928 (handwritten inscriptions on front and underside)\u003cbr\u003e🔹 Material: Hand-carved wood\u003cbr\u003e🔹 Complete with 22 original playing pieces: 12 white and 10 red. Please note that 2 red pieces appear to be missing.\u003cbr\u003e🔹 White counters decorated with fleur-de-lys motifs\u003cbr\u003e🔹 Openwork carved border throughout\u003cbr\u003e🔹 Original handwritten \"Lavoro a Mano\" inscription\u003cbr\u003e🔹 One-of-a-kind folk-art creation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003eCondition\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood antique condition overall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe board remains structurally sound and complete, with the original counters and storage drawers present. As expected for a handcrafted object approaching one hundred years old, it shows signs of age and use, including surface wear, minor losses to the decorative carving, and a natural age-related crack visible across the playing surface. These imperfections contribute to its authenticity and historical charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cem\u003e🪶 Collector's Note\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHandmade gaming boards from the Italian Dolomites are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially examples that remain both \u003cstrong\u003edated and signed by their maker\u003c\/strong\u003e. The inscriptions identifying \u003cstrong\u003eCalalzo di Cadore\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAugust 1928\u003c\/strong\u003e, together with the handwritten mention \u003cem\u003eLavoro a Mano\u003c\/em\u003e, elevate this piece beyond a simple game into a genuine document of local craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike factory-produced boards of the period, every element here—from the intricate fretwork border to the pierced fleur-de-lys motifs—was individually executed by hand. Its survival with the original counters and drawer mechanism makes it a particularly attractive example of early twentieth-century Italian folk art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA wonderful decorative and collectible piece combining traditional Alpine craftsmanship, folk art, and antique gaming history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Antique Arcana","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54838720135436,"sku":null,"price":890.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/7225\/7292\/files\/1928HandmadeItalianCheckersBoard_1.jpg?v=1781868861","url":"https:\/\/www.antiquearcana.com\/products\/exceptional-1928-handmade-italian-checkers-board-calalzo-di-cadore","provider":"Antique Arcana","version":"1.0","type":"link"}