July 2013 Auction Ends Tuesday, July 23rd, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/23/2013
Cole Porter's personally owned backgammon set. Set includes: (1) a portable backgammon black and red board, with black leather backing engraved in silver, ''Cole Porter''. Measures 22'' x 14'' folded, with a lock at one side and two hinges to other side. Board is housed in a canvas carrying case again with ''Cole Porter'' engraved to a strip of brown leather sewn to center. Some wear to both. (2) Dice shaker cup formed from two 3'' x 7.25'' red felt-lined leather strips which snap together, and with a red felt-lined leather circle as the base. (3) Two additional dice shaker cups, partially covered in leather, measuring 3.25'' x 4''. (4) 15 green and 15 ivory ''Bakelite'' backgammon checkers. (5) 14 brightly swirled red and 13 swirled yellow ''Bakelite'' backgammon checkers. (6) Two pair of dice with black dots and a pair of dice with opposite sides of red, blue and black. (7) A black doubling cube with a black numeral engraved on a mother-of-pearl circle. (8) A cherry ''Bakelite'' rectangular cuboid. (9) Box to store the dice and doubling cubes, with ''Merrimade / Lawrence, Mass'' imprint and ''Cole Porter'' handwritten in pencil in upper case on one side, then crossed out with ''Envelopes Only'' penciled over it. Box has a label affixed with a handwritten ''Pieces For Backgammon''. Set includes a notarized letter of provenance from a family friend of Cole's cousin, ''...I worked for Louis[e] Cole Schmitt one of the Heir’s to Cole Porter’s estate (Cole’s cousin) when I was in high school...I came across a box buried under some fishing supplies. It contained Cole Porter’s engraved backgammon set, some poker chips, a traveling gambling/game set...and a box with game pieces in it. She told me it was one of the many boxes from Cole’s estate...and she told me stories of how she and Cole would play on that backgammon set and gambling set and how they would bet pieces of candy as the winnings, many stories of how Cole and Montey [sic] Woolley would take her riding horses at the Cole family farm in Peru Indiana, and how Cole and Montey would act like teenagers gambling and drinking and acting a fool...'' Overall, very good condition.
Broadway Legend Cole Porter's Engraved Personal Backgammon Set -- In a Black Case Engraved ''Cole Porter''
Click above for larger image.