Something for your Christmas list...... :)
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16408/lot.123.html
Quote"Jane Austen was successful in everything that she attempted with her fingers. None of us could throw spilikins in so perfect a circle, or take them off with so steady a hand. Her performances with cup and ball were marvellous. The one used at Chawton was an easy one, and she has been known to catch it on the point above an hundred times in succession, till her hand was weary." (James Edward Austen-Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen (1871), pp.97-98)
Cup-and-Ball, or bilbocatch (from the French bilboquet) was a popular domestic game at which Jane Austen excelled. She gives a good indication of the game's part of daily routine in a letter to Cassandra of 29 October 1809: "We do not want amusement: bilbocatch, at which George is indefatigable; spillikins, paper ships, riddles, conundrums, and cards, with watching the flow and ebb of the river, and now and then a stroll out, keep us well employed; and we mean to avail ourselves of our kind papa's consideration, by not returning to Winchester till quite the evening of Wednesday
If it goes for the estimate, then that's pretty good. But, eurgh, ivory!
Edit: Oops, misread the estimate price by a factor of 1000. Probably not a simple flutter to add to your collection, after all.
And that's with a slight chip to the base cup. Still, at least she didn't keep it "mint in box" and took it out for a good sessioning :)
Should be well broken in ...
Maybe if the throw in some of the paper ships, conundrums and spilikins (whatever that is) I'd go for it