Object Number 1963.0871 A, B

Object Name

Game box (Game case)

Category

Toys and Games

Credit Line/Donor

Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont

Place of Origin

Canton (or Guangzhou), China, Asia

Date

1800-1825

Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label

1. Mark; Lid, interior; "HOONGCHEONG/(foreign language inscription)", stamped
2. Inscription; Lid, interior; "₤6-6-0", written in pencil

Materials

Cloth; Wood; Paper

Dimensions (inches)

1.8 (H) , 6.3 (L) , 5 (W)

Dimensions (centimeters)

4.6 (H) , 16.1 (L) , 12.6 (W)

Object Description

Web - 02/24/2021

Backgammon is one of the oldest known strategic board games. Rules vary in different eras and cultures, but generally two players each move 15 pieces (checkers, or men) according to the roll of two dice on a board containing 24 triangles (points). While the origin of the name is uncertain, many scholars cite the combined Middle English words “baec” (back) and “gamen” (game) since the goal is to return to home and off the game board. American newspapers of the early 1800s advertised cased sets of ivory and wood game pieces with mixed use for backgammon, chess, and checkers (chequers, or draughts). By the 1840s game sets were familiar holiday and New Year’s gifts.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Book] Crossman, Carl L. 1991 The Decorative Arts of the China Trade: paintings, furnishings, and exotic curiosities. 462 p.
• Similar label: p. 301, fig. 180