Lot 1349* ♣ - A198 Ivory collection - Thursday, 30. September 2021, 11.00 AM
RARE POLYGONAL DICE / TEETOTUM
England, beginning of the 18th century.
Walrus tusk, the 24 sides engraved with Roman numerals.
H 4.6 cm, 74 g.
This object contains material of endangered species and is subject to certain trade restrictions. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import it into another country.
Cracks and losses.
Dice games have been extremely popular since Antiquity. One such game, dating back to Roman Antiquity, was the so-called "teetotum". This was originally played with a hexagonal spinning top, the sides of which were marked with letters. As soon as a player threw a T, which stood for the Latin 'totum' (meaning all), the game was won by that player. The game became very popular in Germany in the 16th century, but was also well-known in France and England. Several versions of the game developed as well as the gaming device itself. The gaming device could also be a polygonal cube engraved with numbers or letters. (Chrisholm Hugh (ed.): Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911, p. 503 f.)
CHF 2 000 / 3 000 | (€ 2 060 / 3 090)
Sold for CHF 3 250 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.