Pachisi game board of wood, straw and cotton made in India in the 1970s

Design: cross of printed cotton patchwork
No. of squares: 96
Squares illustrated: none
Square numbering: none
Squares titled: none
Subject of starting square: marked
Subject of ending square: marked

The game is made of painted cotton, wood and straw. The playing surface is a cross of painted cotton patchwork. Each arm is 8 squares long and 3 wide – the squares approx. 1 ¼” – and is jointed at the centre by a large square of black printed cotton. It is backed with plain stone-coloured cotton and bound with red patterned cotton stitched with white thread. The game comes with 16 well shaped counters of turned wood, four each of pink, green, black and yellow. The game also comes with two rectangular dice of wood or coconut, coloured black, with circular impressions picked out in white, with values of 1,3,4 and 6.

The game is contained in a pink and white straw carry case.

Given by Robert Sewell

Pachisi is a national game of India and it was introduced into England towards the end of the 19th century, hence Jaques patent of 1887. Pachisi is usually played on a cross shaped panel of cloth created from a patchwork of different coloured and printed cottons. Expensive sets may have rock crystal markers, but often the markers are made of wood.

This game was given to the donor in India in about 1980.

Rewards: extra turns
Forfeits: missed turns
No. of Players: 4
Equipment required: markers, dice

Rules:
The game is often played with two large oblong dice, but equally six cowrie shells could be used, the number of moves being determined by the number of shells showing their openings uppermost.
The aim is for a player to move all four of his or her markers around the board from start to finish. Markers may be captured and returned to the start, but 12 safe resting places, indicated by white stitching or other marks across the squares, are provided where this cannot happen.

Pachisi is the national game of India and was introduced into England towards the end of the 19th century. John Jaques & Son Ltd patented it in 1887. Pachisi is usually played on a multi-coloured cross shaped panel of cloth. Expensive sets would have rock crystal markers, but often they are simply made of wood. The game is often played with two large oblong dice, but six cowrie shells could be used, the number of moves being determined by the number of shells showing their openings uppermost.

MISC.501-1986