Pictorial block
Category
Sports equipment, games and pastimes
Date
circa 1892 - circa 1915
Materials
Wood, paper and fabric tape
Measurements
275 mm (width); 60 mm (height); 400 mm (length)
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 662875
Summary
A wooden box with a hinged lid. With a puzzle made of wooden cubes inside (circa 1892-1915). On the top of the lid is a coloured illustration of a group of people in Medieval dress. On the left is a jester wearing a red hood and cape with grey and white striped trousers.He is facing a lady wearing a brown and beige dress, a white shawl, beige and white mop cap and red sandals who is sitting on a wall. Behind her stands a fair haired lady wearing a blue, white and red dress and a brown belt with a purse attached. In front of the wall stands a boy dressed in a yellow and blue long sleeved tunic, blue stockings and brown sandals. The sides of the box are decorated with black, red, blue and green checked pattern. The corners of the box are damaged, the base is loose and the hinge has been repaired. The puzzle consists of 36 cubes with each face building up to a coloured picture one of which is illustrated on the box lid. There are five more coloured illustrations in the box, each showing a group of people dressed in Mediaeval costume. One shows a group of three people, two dogs and a bird. On the left is a boy sitting on a wall holding a bird of prey on his gloved, left hand. Standing in the middle is a lady putting on some gloves and on the right, standing on some steps and facing away, is a man with the two dogs on leads. In the background is a pink and white castle. The second is a picture of two adults and two children. A lady and the largest child are sitting on a bench on the left of the picture. A gentleman is leaning against a brick and wood structure. In the foreground is the smaller child holding a dog on a lead. Another picture is of three adults listening to a boy playing a musical instrument. The boy is standing on the left. A man in the foreground is conducting the music. On the right is a seated lady with a gentleman standing behind her. The background is a woodland scene. The fourth picture shows a family group with the lady leaning against a wall on the right. The gentleman is showing a boy how to use a crossbow while a second boy, holding a sword, looks on. In the back ground are grey and white buildings and a tree. The last picture is of two women and two children. On the left a woman is sitting on a bench nursing a child on her knee. Centre picture is a woman holding the shoulders of a boy who is riding on the back of a large dog. In the background is an elaborate stone. The wooden blocks make up each of these illustrations depending on which side you turn them onto. Total number of items is 60.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mrs A. Davison in May 1979.