The Game of Besieging; Das Belagerungspiel
- Object:
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Hand-coloured etching on card
- Museum number:
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The armed forces and war have inspired a number of games. This perhaps followed the late 18th-century tradition of celebrating the exploits of king and country in board games. Strategy games were naturally the easiest to transform into battle games of all types. Men at war, be they soldiers, seamen or pilots, would play games in their spare time, re-enacting famous victories. They often created their own simple boards from paper and pencil.
This game is a strategy one played with the rules of Fox and Geese. The uniforms illustrated on the playing board closely resemble those worn by the troops of Frankfurt-on-Main in 1809. The label has the title in German, French and English. Inscribed in ink on the case is ‘belonged to John Gaspard Fanshawe 1839’.
Physical description
Design: squared playing board, etching coloured by hand, decorated with military scenes; folded into a slip case bearing a label with an engraved pictorial title
Squares illustrated: none
Square numbering: none
Squares titled: none
Subject of starting square: n/a
Subject of ending square: n/a
Place of Origin
Germany (published)
Date
1810-1820 (published)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Hand-coloured etching on card
Dimensions
Height: 33.7 cm, Width: 32.2 cm, Height: 17.5 cm case, Width: 15.3 cm case
Object history note
Lettered on the labels with title in German, French and English; inscribed in ink on the case BELONGED TO JOHN GASPARD FANSHAWE 1839.
Note: The uniforms illustrted on the playing board closely resemble those worn by the troops of Frankfurt-on-Main in 1809. See pl. 40 in R Knotel's UNIFORMENKUNDE, vol.2, Rathenow, 1891.
CGG-Games & Puzzles, 1991
Historical context note
Rewards: winning
No. of Players: two
Equipment required: 23 wooden men and 2 bone counters all contained in a card box bearing a different label with an engraved pictorial title 3¼in x 3 7/8in x 2 7/8in lettered in english, french and german
Rules:
The game is a strategy based on one played by the rules of Fox and Geese, however, Halma may be a later version of this game.
The armed forces and war have inspired a number of games, perhaps following the late 18th century tradition of celebrating the exploits of king and country in board games. Strategy games were naturally the easiest to transform into battle games of all types. Men at war, be they soldiers, seamen or pilots, would play games in their spare time, often creating their own simple boards from paper and pencil, and re-enacting famous victories.
Rules placement: stand fox & geese rules apply
Descriptive line
Hand coloured board game, The Game of Besieging, made in Germany in the early nineteenth century
Categories
Games
Collection code
BGM
