Bracciale for Pallone
Bracciale for Pallone
19th century Italian ball game bracelet or bracciale.
The bracciale was commonly made of walnut, hollowed out and carved from a single piece of wood. Certain examples such as this, with large inserted points, are derived from the most popular Tuscan version of the game. This bracelet would be worn on the hand and used like a racket to hit an 8-paneled leather ball. Teams of three or four would compete on a court with or without a rebounding wall to one side with game progression and scoring similar to tennis.
19.5 x 19.5 cm
Originating in the 16th century, this early court game called pallone col bracciale developed in the northern Tuscan and Piedmont regions. Its popularity increased throughout the peninsula over the centuries and it soon became the national sport of Italy up until the 1920’s. At its peak, professional ball players were the highest paid athletes in the world.