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Board game - The Noble Game of Elephant and Castle or Travelling in Asia
  • The Noble Game of Elephant and Castle or Travelling in Asia
    Darton, William
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The Noble Game of Elephant and Castle or Travelling in Asia

  • Object:

    Board game

  • Place of origin:

    London, England (published)

  • Date:

    1822 (published)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Darton, William (publisher)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Hand-coloured engraved paper on linen

  • Museum number:

    CIRC.231&A-1964

  • Gallery location:

    Museum of Childhood, Creativity Gallery, case 6

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This is a particularly attractive race game with an interesting use of an elephant's body to illustrate the playing surface. There are only 24 playing spaces, but the rules booklet has 84 pages packed with information covering Asian customs, events and persons of note. The purpose of the game as set out in its subtitle is to combine 'amusement with instruction for youth of both sexes'.

Physical description

Design: engraving, coloured by hand
No. of squares: 25
Squares illustrated: all
Square numbering: all
Squares titled: in booklet

Place of Origin

London, England (published)

Date

1822 (published)

Artist/maker

Darton, William (publisher)

Materials and Techniques

Hand-coloured engraved paper on linen

Dimensions

Length: 49.5 cm, Width: 40.5 cm

Object history note

playing surface shows an elephant, surmounted by a houdah and Indian. 24 compartments depicting a custom, event or personnage from Asia. Slip case of card with a coloured engraved label of an elephant and 2 natives in a landscape.
The game stresses learning through reading as the booklet has 84 pages of text to accompany 24 compartments.
CGG-Games & Puzzles, 1991

Historical context note

Rewards: extra turns
Forfeits: missing one to 4 turns when counters are used; backward movement when instructed; reading from booklet
No. of Players: 1-3; or 6
Equipment required: marker or pyramid for each player; teetotum marked 1 to 8 and four counters for each player in different colours

Rules placement: booklet, published by george smallfield, hackney

Descriptive line

Hand coloured geographical game, Elephant and Castle, published in England by William Darton in 1822

Production Note

Rules booklet published by George Smallfield, Hackney

Categories

Games

Collection code

MoC

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Qr_O26338
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