Rare plateau de jeu en micro-mosaïque A rare Nasrid bone-revetted micro-mosaic gaming board, Andalusia, 15th century Composed of two hinged rectangular sections, inlaid with fruitwood and bone, enhanced with micro-mosaic medallions, the inside with a backgammon board, the outside adorned with a chessboard, closing with a brass lock. Condition: cracks and small chips, lock probably added later. Dim. closed: 38 x 23.5 x 6.5 cm / open: 47.5 x 38 x 3.3 cm Backgammon and chess were popular in the Islamic world and were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula in the tenth century. It is rare to find examples of micro-mosaics dating from the 15th century. The precision and delicacy of the technique and the organic nature of the materials make objects of this type highly sensitive to the vicissitudes of ageing. Related works: A tray very similar to this one was sold at Christies, London, October 5, 2010, no. 163; a non-folding wooden example can be found in Granada (Arte Islamico en Granada, Exhibition Catalogue, Granada, 1995, no. 181, p. 427). Another example is in the Kunsthistorischesmuseum, Vienna. A rare Nasrid bone-revetted micro-mosaic gaming board, Andalusia, 15th century Backgammon and chess were popular in the Islamic world and were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula in the tenth century. It is rare to find examples of micro-mosaics dating from the 15th century. The precision and delicacy of the technique and the organic nature of the materials make objects of this type highly sensitive to the vicissitudes of ageing.