lost marbles

Not one but three Boxing day walks today! One with Luke, one with D, one on my own, and all with Jess. 

On the first walk, at the edge of a field near our house, a round stone caught my eye. When I picked it up, I could see and feel straight away that it wasn't a stone, but a ball of clay, and most likely a Victorian marble like the two smaller ones in the photo. These were known as "commies" (common) marbles. My friend Alison lived in an old school a couple of miles away and used to find them in her garden. You can read all about the long history of marbles here.

Marbles were common in Roman times, so I've photographed them in a bowl made of Tunisian red ware from the 4th century. I really like handling everyday objects from the past and these marbles have a lovely feel. I wonder if they fell out of a hole in a child's pocket? Anyway, they're  a far cry from the plastic toys cramming shelves in the Boxing day sales.