Peek in Game Closet

With the MM theme being Game for today, I chose a peek into a game closet.  The Shut the Box Game (more from Internet below) is claimed as a game of Colonial America and is sold in shops in Williamsburg, Va labeled as such.  References are made to its popularity in 1750 in America.  The other games are certainly more recognizable by our grandchildren. The box at the top showing dice is called Farkel.

"It's not known for sure where Shut the Box originated.  Most theories point to a source in Northern France and give Normandy or the Channel Islands as the specific location.  It appears that it has been played in this region for at least two hundred years and is a game popular with sailors and fishermen.  There is only evidence for the game in England from the middle of the twentieth century, and since most games of a similar ilk spawned references in a variety of literature, this would seem to be a good indication that it did not originate in that country.  In fact, Timothy Finn in his "Pub Games of England" says that that the game was brought to the South of England from the Channel Islands in 1958 by a Mr. 'Chalky' Towbridge.  Apparently the game has several names, one of which is Canoga, and one unconfirmed rumour claims that Shut the Box is also common in Zambia! An old pub gambling favourite, Shut the Box uses two dice and a special wooden playing tray."