Arkivism
Bilboquet
CC0 · no rights reserved

Bilboquet

possibly ca. 1780 · Ivory, silk cord (replacement)

From the collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Stick and ball toy: ball pierced with hole through center, featuring black engraved images of putti in various stages of play, including several using a Bilboquet; foliage, flowers, pair of doves on plinth in background; continous festoon above play vignettes; top and bottom of ball feature continuous acanthus leaf motifs; ball attached by green silk cord to spirally fluted, baluster-turned stick; stick engraved with additional acanthus leaf motifs near top and bottom; continuous coin pattern carved above and below; stick inscribed near top: "MENUS PLAISIRS DU ROY, VERSAILLES." Narrow post at top of stick inserts into larger hole at the bottom of the ball.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s own description
Credit lineBilboquet. possibly ca. 1780. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Anonymous Donor. CC0.

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