Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile with a line dividing its face into two square ends. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called pips or dots) or is blank. The backs of the tiles in a set are indistinguishable, either blank or having some common design. The gaming pieces make up a domino set, sometimes called a deck or pack. Reference: Wikipedia
Dominoes can be very collectible and sometimes the value can be in their provenance rather than the actual values of the tiles. This can be seen in the dominoes set which reputedly taken to the Arctic by Shackleton. What would normally fetch a small price sold for £20,000. Other domino sets are valued for their rarity such as those made by prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars.
Below are some examples and price guides of domino sets including an unusual French miniature drum set and two Italian silver sets by Buccellati.
Prisoner of War domino game box with 12 folk art watercolor fanciful painted scenes. Including ships and mermaids. Early 19th century. Includes 28 original dominos. Minor losses and imperfections. H 2-1/2″ W 8-7/8″, D 3-1/2″.
Sold for $1,200 at New Haven Auctions – Fred Giampietro in 2021
Shoe shaped domino container with 13 bone dominoes Made c 1810
This shoe shaped domino container with 13 bone dominoes comes from an important collection of footwear and shoemaking objects thought to have been initiated by the London shoemaker, Robert Dixon Box, and consolidated by his son, Joseph Box and the Box Kingham family during the second half of the 1800s. The collection ranges from remnants of leather shoes from the Middle Ages found in English archaeological sites, to intact European shoes from the 1600s onwards, ‘foreign’ shoes collected as ‘curiosities’ from around the world, shoe buckles, spurs and snuff boxes, as well as company documents relating to Joseph Box Ltd.
Reference: Museum of Applied Art and Sciences
TWO ITALIAN SILVER DOMINO SETS, BUCCELLATI, 20TH CENTURY with black enameled dots, each 28-piece set in original Buccellati wood case each piece marked Buccellati, Sterling, Italy 50 oz 5 dwt 1567 g length of dominoes 1 9/16 in.; length of cases 3⅞ in. 4 cm.; 9.8 cm
Sold for 4,410 USD at Sotheby’s in 2020
FRENCH MINIATURE CARVED BONE DRUM CONTAINING DOMINO SET
1 1/2″ (4 cm.) Of carved bone with defined ribbing, strings, and decorations, the drum lid removes to reveal a tiny set of carved bone dominoes. Excellent condition. Late 1800s.
Sold for $950 at Theriault’s
Animal dominoes Table Game 1930s (published) made from 3-plywood covered with paper, printed in colours to shwo 2 illustrations of an animals surrounded by the domino markings No. of pieces: 28
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
DOMINO SET Set of miniature dominoes reputedly taken to the Antarctic by Shackleton, 28 tiles, bone mounted on hardwood blocks, contained within original wooden box (60 x 95 x 20mm.), inscribed on the base “1928 Shackleton, St. Peter’s College, Radley”; given by him to Ben Perkins, his peer at Oxford, with the explanation that he had received them from his father Ernest upon his return from the Antarctic; thence to Perkins’ daughter
Sold for £ 20,000 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2020
