Jenga
Table Game
1982-1983 (manufactured)
1982-1983 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Jenga is a game of luck and skill. Each player takes it in turns to pull a block from the pile and place it on top of the tower. The player who causes the tower to collapse loses the game.
The game's designer, Leslie Scott, based Jenga on a homemade game she had played as a child growing up in Ghana. The name was derived from the Swahili word kujenga, meaning 'to build'. Scott launched Jenga (originally called Jenga: the Perpetual Challenge) at the 1982 Earls Court Toy Fair and 1983 London Toy & Hobby Fair but failed to sell the game at either exhibition. However, in 1986 the game's licence eventually came to toy giants Hasbro and it became an international success.
The game's designer, Leslie Scott, based Jenga on a homemade game she had played as a child growing up in Ghana. The name was derived from the Swahili word kujenga, meaning 'to build'. Scott launched Jenga (originally called Jenga: the Perpetual Challenge) at the 1982 Earls Court Toy Fair and 1983 London Toy & Hobby Fair but failed to sell the game at either exhibition. However, in 1986 the game's licence eventually came to toy giants Hasbro and it became an international success.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Sawn and sanded wood, plastic |
| Brief description | Table game, Jenga, 1983 |
| Physical description | 54 cuboid wooden blocks. They are used to build a tower. As the tower is built, blocks are withdrawn and placed on top. The aim is to construct the tower as high as possible before it topples. The blocks are contained in a clear plastic square tube with a coloured label giving the title, maker etc on one side and rules on the other side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | Given by Leslie Scott Associates |
| Object history | Gifted in 1983 [83/469] by Leslie Scott Associates. |
| Production | Leslie Scott based Jenga on a homemade game she had played with her family whilst growing up in Ghana. The earliest sets, like this one, contained blocks made at Botton Camphill Village Trust, a community for adults with developmental disabilities, mental health problems and other special needs. |
| Summary | Jenga is a game of luck and skill. Each player takes it in turns to pull a block from the pile and place it on top of the tower. The player who causes the tower to collapse loses the game. The game's designer, Leslie Scott, based Jenga on a homemade game she had played as a child growing up in Ghana. The name was derived from the Swahili word kujenga, meaning 'to build'. Scott launched Jenga (originally called Jenga: the Perpetual Challenge) at the 1982 Earls Court Toy Fair and 1983 London Toy & Hobby Fair but failed to sell the game at either exhibition. However, in 1986 the game's licence eventually came to toy giants Hasbro and it became an international success. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | MISC.49-1983 |
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| Record created | March 5, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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