Victorian Scottish Tartanware Bezique Score Counter with Original Pegs, c. 1870–1900
Victorian Scottish Tartanware Bezique Score Counter with Original Pegs, c. 1870–1900
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Two pegs, one red and one cream, walked along a row of numbered holes. That was how a Victorian drawing room kept score at Bezique, and this small tartan-covered board is the whole apparatus.
Bezique was a two-player card game that took hold across Britain in the late nineteenth century, played in drawing rooms and private clubs. Scores run high in Bezique, into the thousands, which is why a counter like this exists: the gilt numbering tracks tens and hundreds, and you move a peg rather than reach for a pencil.
The core is solid wood with an ebonized edge, and a brass swivel latch at the top secures the peg wells when the game is over. The tartan surface belongs to the Victorian appetite for Highland romance, a fashion that put Scottish pattern onto every kind of small decorative and useful object for decades.
Both original pegs are present, which is uncommon. They are the first thing to go missing on a counter like this, and a complete one is worth waiting for.
The surface shows expected wear to the tartan finish, including light rubbing and areas of varnish loss.
The edges display minor scuffing and wear.
The brass latch has developed a warm, natural patina.
Both original pegs are present and intact, showing age-appropriate wear.
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Every antique and vintage item we carry has lived a life before arriving in your home. These are not factory-made products. They are objects with history, character, and the marks of time.
Age-appropriate wear, patina, minor imperfections, and signs of previous use or repair are inherent to antique and vintage items and are not considered defects. These characteristics are part of what makes each piece unique and are often what give it its beauty and value.
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