Indian Moghul Carved Ivory Solitaire Game Board with Thirty-Six Vase Shaped Pieces and one Large Central Peg

Period: 1800-1900

Origin: India

Medium: Ivory

Literature: Solitaire, as its name implies, is a game for one played on a board with pegs, which can vary in number. Moves are made by jumping, and the peg which is jumped over is then removed, the object being to leave the last one in the centre. The game reached Britain from Europe in the 18th century and the colonial British introduced solitaire amongst other games, such as bridge, to India in the 19th century where it quickly became a popular courtly pastime.