A hand-painted wooden game board with a 64-square checkerboard in red and black, framed by green-painted moulding strips. The squares sit between two plain red end panels, which held the captured pieces. The back is unpainted wood with an old, even patina.
Checkers was the most popular game in 19th-century America, played in parlours, general stores and firehouses. Most boards were made at home or by local carpenters from scrap pine and whatever paint was on hand, so each one is different. Today they're collected as folk art: the worn paint and scratches show the games played on it.
