Check this beauty out! And what it sold for?
Lot No: 145
"The Game of War"
Manufactured for H M Government by R H Stevens & Co Ltd, 89 Southwark Street, London, retailed by Wm. Ives Lincoln, circa 1887-1894
The mahogany box (with key) comprising: 600 red and blue slate gaming pieces representing the infantry, cavalry, mounted infantry, horse artillery, sappers and machine gun units, two ivory rulers, two pairs of compasses, two ivory scales, two brass scales, two ivory dice, two pairs of callipers or "nippers", a red leather covered shaker, yellow, red and blue pegs, and a wooden ruler, the box with retail label: Wm Ives...Sports Outfitters...Lincoln, (the map for illustrative purposes and not included with the lot),The box 31cm wide, 11cm high, 22.5cm deep.
The mahogany box (with key) comprising: 600 red and blue slate gaming pieces representing the infantry, cavalry, mounted infantry, horse artillery, sappers and machine gun units, two ivory rulers, two pairs of compasses, two ivory scales, two brass scales, two ivory dice, two pairs of callipers or "nippers", a red leather covered shaker, yellow, red and blue pegs, and a wooden ruler, the box with retail label: Wm Ives...Sports Outfitters...Lincoln, (the map for illustrative purposes and not included with the lot),The box 31cm wide, 11cm high, 22.5cm deep.
Sold for £4,800 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Footnote:
Sold with a letter from the National Army Museum, dated November, 2003, confirming the similarities of this game with a similar wargame in their collection, and a facsimile copy of the "Rules for the Conduct of the War-Game", 1884 (reprinted 1889).
This is an excellent example of a British officer's wargame, designed for the instruction of military personnel in military manouevres; a later British version of "Kriegsspiel", a wargame originally invented by Lieutenant Georg von Reiswitz for training officers in the Pussian army during the early 19th century.
The game is played on a map drawn on a scale of 6 inches to the mile, and the troops are indicated by small slate blocks, coloured red for one force, and blue for another. The example in the National Army Museum Collection also has 15 maps of the West Dorking training areas, including Aldershot, Camberley, Hog's Back and are part of a series issued by the War Office which have been coloured specially for the purpose.
"To carry out the Game of War in as most complete manner as possible, the instructions inform that one should have enough officers to fill the following posts:
Two officers to represent the commanders of the opposing forces.
Subordinate officers to command any detachments of importance from the main body.
An Umpire
Two Assistant Umpires
An Officer to keep a journal recording the progress of the operations, time of the despatch and receipt of messages and losses".
http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/17976/lot/145/
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