Spinning Top
1700-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This little spinning top was made for use in games of chance. The player spun the top and the letter on the uppermost side when it came to rest dictated what action to take. The letters used vary from country to country, but generally included ‘T’ for totum, as here, which allowed the player to take the whole jackpot. This Latin word provided the usual British name for the object: teetotum.
Teetotums were usually made of ivory or wood in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the game was most popular. This example may have been made in the Netherlands, as it has a Dutch census mark from the early 19th century. The game was common in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain.
Teetotums were usually made of ivory or wood in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the game was most popular. This example may have been made in the Netherlands, as it has a Dutch census mark from the early 19th century. The game was common in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver and silver filigree |
| Brief description | Tiny six-sided silver filigree spinning top (teetotum) with letters on each side, Netherlands, 1700-1799. |
| Physical description | Tiny silver filigree spinning top, consisting of a six-sided box with slightly sloping sides with a central rod running vertically through its centre. There is a different silver letter applied to each of the six sides: ‘T’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘D’, ‘S’, and ‘N’. |
| Marks and inscriptions | Letter 'O' with crown above. (On upper part of rod.)
|
| Summary | This little spinning top was made for use in games of chance. The player spun the top and the letter on the uppermost side when it came to rest dictated what action to take. The letters used vary from country to country, but generally included ‘T’ for totum, as here, which allowed the player to take the whole jackpot. This Latin word provided the usual British name for the object: teetotum. Teetotums were usually made of ivory or wood in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the game was most popular. This example may have been made in the Netherlands, as it has a Dutch census mark from the early 19th century. The game was common in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.139-1941 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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