£10,500
Striking the perfect balance between game and objet d’art, our Tulip Marquetry backgammon set is an elegant, organic companion piece to our popular printed Tulip backgammon board. From goblet-shaped flowers to spectacular fringed blooms, the board features six different varieties of tulip, magnificently rendered in wood inlay.
My father is a garden designer and much of my childhood was spent outdoors, helping him nurture new life. Each spring, I remember being amazed as the tulips emerged into the sunlight – the different varieties and variations were breathtaking.
An extraordinarily beautiful flower symbolic of love and affection, the tulip is admired the world over for its vast array of colours. Introduced to Europe from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the tulip was responsible for the first-ever speculative bubble in Holland, when, for a brief moment, a single flower reportedly cost more than a townhouse on Amsterdam’s grand canal.
A contemporary reimagining of the classic floral designs that appear in traditional wood marquetry, Alexandra incorporated six of her favourite tulips into her artwork, which is beautifully interpreted on the board in different natural and dyed woods, including Tulipwoods, selected because they describe perfectly the colours, textures, shading and depth of the silky-petalled flowers.
Each Tulip Marquetry backgammon set is brought to life in nine different British workshops by artisans who are skilled in time-honoured crafts. These include a marquetry artist who assembles hundreds of miniature pieces of wood to bring each tulip to vibrant life upon the board, complemented by Rosewood triangles, with its beautifully complex grain patterns.
Designed to enhance your game of backgammon, semi-precious playing pieces are a luxurious addition to our Signature backgammon sets. Alexandra recommends amethyst and mother of pearl playing pieces to complement her Tulip Marquetry backgammon board, with personalisation of the pieces available.
