KILLARNEY, CIRCA 1870

Details

An Irish arbutus wood folding games board
Killarney, circa 1870
Inlaid with sycamore shamrocks, lines and chequers, the interior for backgammon
20½in. (52cm.) wide
and an associated set of boxwood and ebony draughts counters, with dice shaker

Special notice

This lot is subject to Collection and Storage Charges. No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The town of Killarney became associated with the manufacture of souvenir ware which flourished between 1845 to 1880. The various inlaid trinket boxes, cabinets, egg cups and games boxes were crafted from an array of colourful indigenous woods. Bog-oak, holly, yew and sycamore were among the woods utilised, but the dark heartwood and light sap wood of arbutus unedo is more typically and uniquely associated with Killarney. This shrub, more commonly known as the strawberry tree, originated from the Mediterranean but flourished in the mild damp climate of this Irish region.

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