A lovely example of a hand made wood and papier mache Pope Joan game wheel dating from the early to mid 19th Century. 'Pope Joan' is a card game that dates back as early as the 1700s. This segmented turntable holds the players' counters or 'bets'. It has 8 segments, each with a different card or title painted around the edge. The wheel is set on a round base and spins around when turned.
It is in good original condition and has retained much of its beautiful painted and gilded decoration and is the first example I've seen in green. It has been well used over the years and therefore has picked up some signs of age and use. There are areas of wear, paint loss and some fading. There are some cracks running through the papier mache, a small chip on the base and some general small scuffs here and there but nothing detrimental and it displays beautifully. There are no major damages and the top rotates well on its base.
