Europe, Scotland, ca. 1860 CE. This ensemble of nine ceramic balls decorated in various attractive patterns intrigued me from moment one. After a bit of research, it became clear that these were used in a 19th century Victorian parlor game called Carpet Ball, an indoor ball game played on carpet, hence its name. According to Paul Baumann, author of "Collecting Antique Marbles" (2004), antique carpet balls were once kept near the front doors of impressive Scottish mansions. Any respectable family would keep two boxes in their foyers, one for the outdoor game of croquet and the other for the indoor counterpart called Carpet Ball. As you can see, they were decorated in a variety of colors and patterns; however, one which was typically white or self-colored stood out as the cue ball. In this group, the mottled grey ball stands apart and was probably painted to appear like a natural stone and be used as the cue ball. A fascinating collectible from an antique Victorian parlor game! Size: largest measures 3.5" in diameter (8.9 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Historia-Antiques, James Caswell, Santa Monica, Ca.

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#113676

Minor scratches and abrasions. Overall very good.