A rare antique wooden Knockemdown Ninepins game, made by Church Army Disabled Ex-Service Men’s Industries at 8 Star Road, West Kensington, London.
The set includes nine hand-painted wooden character skittles, two wooden balls and the original wooden case with paper label. The label reads “Knockemdown Ninepins — A Pleasing Game for the Young” and notes that it was made at Church Army Disabled Ex-Service Men’s Industries.
The figures are wonderfully characterful, with naive hand-painted detail, including military, naval, guard, policeman or official-style characters, along with a white figure and two wooden balls. Each skittle has a charming folk-art quality, with bold painted faces, hats and clothing.
This is a particularly interesting piece as a set of Knockemdown Ninepins belonging to Queen Elizabeth II was photographed on display at Buckingham Palace as part of the Royal Childhood exhibition in 2014. This is not the royal-owned set, but it is the same named game and appears to be the same type of early wooden ninepins set, giving it excellent royal-interest and social-history appeal. Reuters recorded the Queen Elizabeth set at Buckingham Palace in 2014, and contemporary reports of the Royal Childhood exhibition also mention the Queen’s childhood toys going on display.
The Church Army connection gives the piece further historic interest. The label links it to the organisation’s Disabled Ex-Service Men’s Industries, where toys and other items were made by former servicemen after the First World War. A lovely collector’s piece for those interested in antique toys, wooden games, royal childhood toys, folk art, early British social history and interwar craft.
