A Rare Ivory English Teetotum gambling ball

Period: 1600-1800

Origin: England

Medium: Ivory

Dimension: 4.5 cm (1³/₄ inches)

Literature: A Teetotum or 'Totum' (meaning the whole, i.e. the whole stake) is a
many faceted spinning top with each side numbered. It acts in the same
way as a spinning dice, but if it is made true, which is what the
incised crown on this example denotes, there is an equal chance of any
number turning up which is not the case with dice.
This Ivory Teetotum ball has 32 sides incised with the numbers 1 to 32
and a crown. The gambling game of staking on a Teetotum is recorded in
1753 and has its origins in the early 18th century, when it was
inscribed with letters and not numbers. T for Totum (whole), A for
Auferre (take away), D for Deponere (put down) and N for Nihil
(nothing).

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