A Pair of Papier-Mâché French Fairground Passé-Boules Ball Toss Games c.1930-40
SOLD
Origin: French
Period: Early/Mid 20thC
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930-40
Each:
Height: 13”
Width: 8”
Depth: 4”
The pair of papier-mâché Passé-Boules toss games, as a Pierrot clown and portly chef, each with gaping open mouths into which one tosses wooden balls, showing original painted features, hanging on stencilled pine scoring sections at 25, 50 and 100, and surviving from the second quarter of twentieth century France.
Evocative of the magic of the fairground, the pair are in vintage condition, in other words the paint has flaked and chipped off in places with some small cracks here and there as they have had an awful lot thrown at them in the past but this only adds to their aesthetic appeal and structurally both the masks and the boards are in sound order, with one hairline crack to the mask of the clown.
Historically, passé-boule (ball-toss) was a very popular fairground game in France from the 19th century onwards and the masks often depict figures to be ridiculed.
Beautifully decorative carnival elements that will instantly add fun to any wall or table top.
Period: Early/Mid 20thC
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930-40
Each:
Height: 13”
Width: 8”
Depth: 4”
The pair of papier-mâché Passé-Boules toss games, as a Pierrot clown and portly chef, each with gaping open mouths into which one tosses wooden balls, showing original painted features, hanging on stencilled pine scoring sections at 25, 50 and 100, and surviving from the second quarter of twentieth century France.
Evocative of the magic of the fairground, the pair are in vintage condition, in other words the paint has flaked and chipped off in places with some small cracks here and there as they have had an awful lot thrown at them in the past but this only adds to their aesthetic appeal and structurally both the masks and the boards are in sound order, with one hairline crack to the mask of the clown.
Historically, passé-boule (ball-toss) was a very popular fairground game in France from the 19th century onwards and the masks often depict figures to be ridiculed.
Beautifully decorative carnival elements that will instantly add fun to any wall or table top.