skittle

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• Friederike Dorner asked

  Dear Sir or Madam,
  I am an art historian at the Diözesanmuseum Osnabrück, Germany and I am currently preparing an exhibition in which skittles and bowling will be a topic. In my research I came across your skittles: Accession number F 5837 b and d (KN&V) and F 5838 a-e (KN&V), all from 1600-1700.
  The average size of these skittles is about 8 cm. Are these toys for children? Is it some sort of „table game“? Do you know anything about their use?
  Object F 5837a (KNV) looks more like a stick, although something seems to have broken off. Is this a stick that was used for knocking over skittles?
  I would be very grateful for information.
  Thank you very much for your efforts.
  With kind regards
  
  Friederike Dorner

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Friederike, first excuse me for the delay in answering. I have consulted our curator Alexandra van Dongen and she says that the skittles are indeed wooden toy cones. F 5837 a (KN&V) is not a stick, but a cone if which the lower part is missing. Probably the game was played with a ball; one needed to hit and bring the cones down (comparable to bowling). The expert on old toys in The Netherlands is Annemarieke Willemsen from the Rijksmuseum of Oudheden in Leiden. If you want, Alexandra can introduce you to her. In that case, please contact Alexandra directly: dongen@boijmans.nl. Kind regards, Els