Traditional Games:

• Chess
• Draughts
• Backgammon
• Mah Jong
• Roulette
• Playing Cards

In amongst all the thousands of games that have been invented, many of which have come and gone, and even in competition from computer games the traditional favourites manage to keep their place amongst the elite of the games that we love to play, and to own.

A beautiful chess set, or a finely finished backgammon board or Mah Jong set makes a wonderful gift. For those that have enjoyed the games before they will be a very welcome present, and will doubtless inspire them to play the games again. To introduce these fabulous games to those that have not played them before is a gift in itself. The use of playing cards has declined a little in recent years, but only because so many people have not been introduced to the countless number of great games that can be played with them, anywhere and any time. From Cribbage to Bridge, Poker to Canasta and Snap to Patience, and all manner of games in between playing cards have thousands of uses and ways to amuse.

We have brought together a range of these wonderful games, and ensured that they are presented in beautiful cases and boxes so that they are a gift for now and for years to come.

Origins

Backgammon - along with Chess and Go the game of Backgammon is one of the oldest in the World, and was played in its various forms in many parts of the World. It wasn't a game invented in one place or at one time, and like all the old games it evolved over time to create the game that is now played and enjoyed around the World. Most is known of the games that preceeded the modern game from around the Middle Ages, and games that used the same 24 point board and showed similarities were called different things according to where they were played. The "Game of Tables" was known in the Middle Ages and variants on this game were known as Todas Tablas in Spain, Shuanglu in China, and Golaka-Krida in India. These origins date back to the 12th century. The name "Backgammon" appeared in England in 1635 and has been used ever since.

Chess - There is no one definite origin of Chess, but many theories, and since references to the game of chess, or variants of it, can be found as early as the 6th Century, there is also quite a bit of mystery surrounding it's roots. The most commonly held view (although that doesn't necessarily make it the right one) is that the game of Chess was first played in India. Other common theories suggest that it is a descendant of a game called Shaturanga, a four person variant, but the first references to this that can be ratified appeared as late as the 9th Century AD and so this is some 300 years after the references to it that have been found in India. Another theory is that it started in China and was taken to India, but the evidence for this appears more patchy. Whatever it's origins, Chess is, perhaps, one of the most challenging strategic games, and a game that can probably never be completely mastered. A beautiful Chess set is a perfect gift, a game for now and the future, and a fabulous piece to own.

Mah Jong - The history of Mah Jong is much less mysterious and more recent than either Chess or Backgammon. It is a game that originated in China and until the 1920s it was played almost exclusively in China. At this time it was discovered by travellers to the country and popularised in other countries. It is now played all over the World. It consists of 144 tiles or playing pieces, but more of how it looks and how to play later. Tile games of one sort or another can be found in records dating back to the 10th century AD in China including Dominoes, but Mah Jong has greater similarities to certain card games than to Dominoes. The game of Mah Jong appears to have originated in and around the Shanghai region of China, and was little known even in other parts of China until the early 1900s. It's rules and play were a little hazy until this time but as more people played it in China more rules and methods of play were developed. During the first 20 years of the 20th century Mah Jong spread with remarkable rapidity across the rest of China before being picked up and taken "abroad" around 1920. In particular the Japanese, the British and the Americans seized upon the game and it became immensely popular in these countries, with variations of the rules being developed in each place. The British Mah Jong federation now publishes a set of rules which are close to those established by the Chinese in the early 20th century, and, although less well known than Chess or Backgammon, Mah Jong continues to have a popular following in this country today, and the sets that are available are beautifully decorated and make fabulous and thoughtful gifts.

Playing Cards

It was the invention of paper that brought about the invention of playing cards, and as paper was invented in China it is now widely understood that playing cards have their roots in China also.

The first appearance of playing cards in Europe date back to the 13th century but before the advent of printing cards were very expensive, as each had to be produced individually. Only with the coming of modern printing techniques did the use of cards become widespread. Playing cards are uniquely versatile in the world of games as so many different games can be played with the same equipment, and there are a vast number of games and variations on games that can be played with a single pack, although some games require two packs!

The four suits of cards that are known to those in Britain (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs) and which are used wherever Bridge and Poker are played, originated in France. In other European countries different symbols are used. For instance, in Germany the suits are Hearts, Bells, Leaves and Acorns, and in Spain they are Clubs, Coins, Swords and Cups.

Roulette

The true origins of Roulette are unknown, and it is likely that games involving a spinning wheel were invented not long after the invention of the wheel itself. However, these are not documented, and it therefore impossible to say how the game itself originated. The modern version of Roulette probably came from early versions of wheel and ball games invented in the 17th century, but Roulette as we would recognise it first appeared in the Casinos of Paris in the latter parts of the 18th century.