Battledore
Category
Sports equipment, games and pastimes
Date
circa 1900
Materials
Metal, wood, leather and vellum
Measurements
445 mm (min. length); 470 mm (max. length); 155 mm (width); 20 mm (depth)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 663961
Summary
A pair of child's racquets (battledores) with vellum heads, used in an early form of badminton (circa 1900). Frames and handles are of wood, covered with red-brown leather and paper with gold decorative lining. A battledore which consists of a double sided pear shaped head covered in vellum stretched taut over the frame. The edges of the head have a light brown leather tooled edge which extends partly on to the face of the head and there is a triangle at the base of the head. The wooden handle is covered in the same tooled leather which has signs of gold leaf. A piece of metal at the base of the handle probably goes up through the handle. Total number of items is 3.
Marks and inscriptions
Base of vellum head: green rectangular paper label: WARRANTED/BEST VELLUM Base of head side 1: PAYNE Base of head side 2: 3 Both sides of the base of head: 2 Base of head side 1: PAYNE Base of head side 2: 3 On green label on base of head: WARRANTED / BEST VELLUM