A reversible games board made in Portuguese India, probably Bombay, c.late 17th century, sold by Álvaro Roquette and Pedro Aguiar-Branco for a six-figure sum during London Art Week.
Made from teak, the 20½ x 19½in (52 x 49cm) board is veneered and inlaid with ebony, Indian rosewood and ivory, with further decoration in golden metal wire.
To one side is a traditional board for chess, draughts and backgammon, but to the other is a board for the once popular race game of goose. It employs a spiral architectural diagram marked with events and obstacles that come into play on the roll of a dice.
The board was offered by Álvaro Roquette and Pedro Aguiar-Branco, who specialise in works of art linked with the Portuguese empire. The two exhibited as AR PAB at a temporary space in Ryder Street.
The games board sold to a long-term client, an international collector, for a six-figure sum.
