An extremely rare Victorian horse racing and steeple chase game dating from 1860-1880, most probably commissioned to order. It has the maker’s brass plate at one end, “F. L L. Maker Liverpool"*. It is a superb example of Victorian design and craftsmanship, both in the folding mahogany board and the leather-tooled playing surface.
The folding board unusually has both outer faces framed in mahogany. Inside, the racing track playing area is in tooled green leather with gilt markings. The four corners are meanwhile decorated in tooled red leather with gilt markings. Around the inner border of the track is a boxwood scoring band, into which pegs may be placed at certain intervals. Inside that is the central green baized area.
The board is accompanied by an equally superb flamed mahogany box, lined in protective red velvet, containing the beautifully crafted bronze horses and jockeys in their different colours, as well as the hurdles, water jump and detailed fences - also bronze. The bone scoring pegs, dice and leather shakers are contained in the front lidded compartment of the box. An impressive and unique display piece in wonderful condition.
A full set of original rules is included. Having previously fixed upon the wager for the course and cast lots for the order of starting, the players select their horses and place them in order, with the forepart of the feet on the line marked 0. Each player then throws the dice in turn and brings his horse on the line indicated by the number of points obtained by the throw. The first person to exceed 100 is the winner. The difficulty of the course may be increased by placing the ditches, hedges and barriers in different places.
*Freidrich Ludwig Hausburg originally worked in Paris, coming to England in 1840. Here, he was granted naturalisation by Queen Victoria. He opened a jewellery and watch business in Liverpool at 24, Church Street, where they specialised in desks, dressing cases, work and writing boxes.
Hoyle's Excellent, Grade 1 listing, under the Hoyle's Vintage Grading System.
N.B. This is a large and heavy item which will need to be packed and sent by special courier. Please enquire for postage to the destination required.
