Photo Credit: koenigwood
Handcrafted Contemporary Bog Oak Dice Set
Buy It Now Price: $176 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This expertly handcrafted contemporary bog oak dice set was made by the Russian artist Karl Koenig and comes in its own custom-fitted, American walnut box with an affixed bog oak skull decoration. In addition, the bog oak dice and skull are individually inlayed with a thin stainless steel strip that contrasts beautifully with the dark bog oak wood.
-The measurements of this bog oak dice set are not given by the seller. But if the dice are the standard 16 mm (0.63 inch) dimension, it implies that the custom-fitted walnut box would be a bit over 6 inches (15.2 cm) in length and perhaps around 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide.
–Bog oak is ancient wood that has begun the initial stage of fossilization. It originates from oak trees that fell into an acidic bog, marsh or swamp anywhere from 1,000 to 8,000 years ago. The acids in the water gradually leached out some organic matter, replacing it with iron and other minerals. This dramatically darkens the color of the wood.
-The materials used in this bog oak dice set are simply superb. The way the richly patinaed American walnut box complements the contrasting stainless steel and bog oak dice elevates this set to investment grade art, in my opinion.
-Most bog oak comes from Ireland, England or the Baltic region. This particular material is most likely Russian in origin and approximately 3,500 years old. Bog oak’s rarity makes it an exceedingly expensive wood.
-Sometimes a work of art just comes together perfectly – much better than even the artist hoped. I suspect this is one of those times.
-Bog oak is much harder than normal oak, which is already a very hard wood. Consequently, bog oak requires special tools and a lot of experience to work properly. Only a master woodcrafter can successfully work with bog oak.
-I love the RPG and table-top gaming connotations of this bog oak dice set. These standard 6-sided cube dice would be a stunning addition to the arsenal of any hardcore Dungeons & Dragons, Elder Sign or Risk enthusiast. Of course, these dice would also be equally at home with more traditional gambling games such as craps, chō-han or backgammon.
-This bog oak dice set is a prime example of what I call “future antiques” – one-of-a-kind luxury items of impeccable quality that are destined to be highly desirable antiques once they’ve seasoned for 40 or 50 years.
-Given the superb craftsmanship and high end materials employed in this bog oak dice set, I think the $176 buy-it-now price is absurdly low. But if that sum is still too rich for you, you can always make the seller a lower offer.
Cons:
-This bog oak dice set is a contemporary piece, meaning it was made recently. Buying contemporary art for investment purposes is risky because it doesn’t have any kind of an established track record yet. Off-setting this risk somewhat is the fact that this dice set is utterly unique. You can scour the globe, but I am certain you will never find a set of gaming dice quite like this one!
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