Medieval torture weapons or a fun vintage ball toss game. This set of round spiked steel balls might look like something from the medieval ages but fortunately, it’s a fun game of ball toss. Or jeu de boules, otherwise known as Petanque in France. The term petanque means feet fixed or feet planted and the game originated in France back in 1907. The goal of the game is to toss a hollow steel ball as close as possible to a small wooden ball while standing inside a circle with both feet firmly on the ground. The game is usually played on hard dirt or gravel so that the ball can roll easily across the surface.
Vintage Ball Toss Game
However, I still have my doubts that there are no ties to the horrific weaponry of the Medieval Ages. These spiked steel balls have a close resemblance to those that were attached to clubs with chains. And we can all imagine how those ball and chains were used. A little too scary for my taste. After all, the game of ball toss dates back to the 6th century BC. It all started with the Ancient Greeks who tossed coins to see who could throw the farthest. They then moved on to tossing flat stones and eventually round balls. It was the Romans that modified the toss game to hit a target. Roman soldiers and sailors tossed balls at a target and then measured who landed the closest to determine the winner. I like this version a lot better than the medieval one. In fact, I prefer to just use this vintage ball toss game for display purposes only. Those balls could hurt and it’s a lot safer this way.
Click HERE to view Vintage Ball Toss Game at Hudson Goods. And click Hip Lighting, Furniture Frenzy, Industrial Strength or Chairs Gone Wild for more interior home design.




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