Early English Playing Set, early 18th c.

Early English Playing Set, early 18th c.

My oldest set so far. An early English set, originally from the Gareth Williams collection, dating to the first half of the 18th century! Just imagine, people were using this set before the United States became an independent country and even before Mozart was born. I am always thrilled, when I hold these pieces in my hands. The pieces have some chips and cracks, but it adds to the history and personality. 

The board shown below with the pieces was a lucky find on ebay. It is younger than the pieces, but I have no information about the exact age. It is most likely late 18th / early 19th century.  

The set came without box, but I found a nice late 19th century wooden box for it from Holland, the style of which is called "Frisian chip carving".
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