Early Antique Curling Stone With Steel Handle
Early Antique Curling Stone With Steel Handle
28148
Antique Single-soled Curling Stone.
A fine early single-soled curling stone with a forged iron metal handle. The metal handle is imbedded into the top of the stone and secured at both ends with lead. There is a beautiful roughness to the stone, it is certainly a collectors piece but also a very decorative piece and a fantastic door stop. The circumference is 33 inches.
The exact origins of curling are unclear but it is known to have a long history in Scotland, and it was through Scottish immigrants that the game of curling spread to other parts of the world. Early curling was an out door sport that was played on frozen lochs and ponds. Because of the unpredictable weather artificial curling rinks were being made to make a little frost go a long way. Concrete rinks were flooded with small amounts of water so they would freeze solid after a night of frost, thus having a rink to play on when the frozen lochs or ponds were unsafe. The first Curling Clubs were formed in Scotland as were the first rules to standardize curling and its equipment. The Grand Caledonian Curling Club was founded in Edinburgh in 1838, they formally adopted these new rules and became the sport's governing body. They heavily supported the use of round granite stones and rather than eight players each throwing a single stone it changed to a team of four players using two matched stones each. Four years later, in 1843, Her Majesty Queen Victoria so fascinated by the game demonstrated on the polished floor of the ballroom of Scone Palace near Perth she granted the Club the title of Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Curling was firmly established in Canada by the Scots with The Royal Montreal Curling Club being established in 1807, the oldest sports club still active in North America.
Dimensions:
1800-1849
Early 19th Century
Granite
Scotland
Good for its age, some chips. See images.
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