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Board game - Kismet; Snakes and ladders

Kismet; Snakes and ladders

  • Object:

    Board game

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (designed)
    Germany (manufactured)

  • Date:

    ca. 1895 (published)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Chromolithograph on paper and card

  • Museum number:

    MISC.423-1981

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Download image

Kismet means fate or destiny. The game was intended to show children that, by being good and obedient, life would be rewarding. Bad behaviour would, however, be punished.

Forty-two of the game's squares show black and white illustrations on moral themes. There are 13 snakes and eight ladders connecting these squares. The snakes show that wrong-doing and vices lead to punishment while the ladders all lead to virtue. The game was designed in England and the majority of the illustrations reflect English themes. The actual printing was done in Bavaria, Germany, which was a common practice in the late 19th century.

Physical description

Design: chromolithography mounted on card; folded; backed with brown and cream mottled paper.
No. of squares: 100
Squares illustrated: 42
Square numbering: all
Squares titled: 42
Subject of starting square: ?
Subject of ending square: scroll of names

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (designed)
Germany (manufactured)

Date

ca. 1895 (published)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Chromolithograph on paper and card

Dimensions

Width: 39.5 cm, Height: 39 cm

Object history note

42 squares show black and white illustrations on generally moral themes with square 100 showing a table of name of `good' people. The rest of the squares are plain. There are 13 snakes and 8 ladders

Historical context note

Rewards: forward movement along the ladders
Forfeits: backward movement along the snakes
No. of Players: any
Equipment required: markers, dice

Rules:
marks- on the label GLOBE trademark
GLOBE SERIES OF GAMES
MADE IN BAVARIA
REGISTERED TRADEMARK

on game MADE IN BAVARIA
COPYRIGHT ENTd STAT. HALL

The game was designed in England and the majority of the illustrations reflect English themes. The actual printing was done in Bavaria., a common practice at the time.

Rules placement: none

Descriptive line

Card board game, Kismet, made in Germany about 1895

Production Note

Globe series of games

Categories

Games

Production Type

Mass produced

Collection code

MoC

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Qr_O26346
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