Games compendium
A. W. Gamage Ltd
Category
Sports equipment, games and pastimes
Date
1921
Materials
Wood, plastic, cardboard, leather and paper.
Measurements
Bezique box - 147 mm (length); 110 mm (width), Box of dominoes - 212 mm (length); 70 mm (width); 67 mm (height), Draughts box - 205 mm (length); 87 mm (width); 40 mm (height), Wallet - 79 mm (width); 95 mm (height), Wood with inserts - 93 mm (length); 58 mm (width), Each domino - 55 mm (length); 27 mm (width), Each die - 15 mm (width); 15 mm (height), Each leather shaker - 84 mm (height); 67 mm (diameter), Each draught piece - 37 mm (diameter)
Place of origin
London EC
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 660763
Summary
A games compendium dating from the 1920's and given to the donor and her sisters by their uncle. The games compendium is in the shape of a large, hinged wooden box covered in leather imitation paper to resemble a two volume book. The exterior has a chequered board pattern for chess or draughts. On the spines are stamped in gold coloured ink ‘English Games Vol. 1’ and ‘English Games Vol. 2’. The sides of the box are covered with a marbled paper to imitate pages. When opened, it reveals a backgammon board on the inside. The box contains several games or parts of games as follows: Two large leather cylindrical shakers. Twenty shaped sticks each with a different Roman numberal incised on it, all wrapped up in two scraps of brown paper. Handwritten in ink on one of the scraps of brown paper is 'Miss. Knox. Devonshire House'. A green plastic imitation leather wallet containing two tiny packs of playing cards still in their original cellophane. The word 'Patience' is stamped in brown coloured ink on the front cover of the wallet. Two pieces of wood, one dark brown, the other light brown, each with inserted pegs of wood which lie flush. A wooden rectangular box with a sliding lid containing twenty eight bone or ivory dominoes. A rectangular wooden box with a sliding lid containing thirty draughts pieces and four dice. A blue printed cardboard box with a hinged lid. Printed on the lid is ‘Bezisue and Polish’. The box contains two incomplete sets of playing cards, scoring cards and rules. Total number of items is 170.
Marks and inscriptions
Lid of box of Bezique: 'With Grandmother's love, Christmas 1921'
Makers and roles
A. W. Gamage Ltd, maker Thomas De La Rue and Co. Ltd , maker