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These were relatively cheap and easy to produce and compared with many other games and toys available at this time, were affordable to a wider section of society. \n\nPlaying cards were often associated with gambling so other types of card games were devised for family and social use. Riddles and fortune telling were among the most popular.","physicalDescription":"A card game; black ink printed onto cream coloured cards. Comprises a 'DIRECTIONS FOR PLAYING THE GAME' card detailing the game play; a 'QUESTIONS' card with numbered questions printed in small typeface and listed in two columns; fifty slightly smaller cards, all the same size and each one numbered at the top with a list of twelve, numbered answers.\n\nThe scanned image shows six answer cards out of the total of fifty.\n\n\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"},{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"black ink printed onto card","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Playing cards & Tarot cards","id":"THES48909"},{"text":"Games","id":"THES48947"}],"styles":[{"text":"19th century second 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under 13. Merlin then adds one less than the number chosen to the number of the question, and the amount gives the number of the card on which the answer will be found, as the number chosen: for instance, the question asked in No.11. \"If a husband will be handsome or not,\" and the number chosen 6, this will give No.16. and on that card at No.6. the answer will be found, viz., \"He will be handsome and agreeable.\" When the amount of the number of the question and the number chosen exceeds 50, commence again from No.1, for instance the question asked is 46. \"If you will succeed in your present undertaking,\" and the number chosen 6. this would give you 51, consequently the answer will be found on No.1 card at No.6, viz., \"Perseverance will gain your end.\"\n\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Card game, Merlin's Casket, made in England, 1850-1899","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.537:1-2016","B.537:2-2016","B.537:3-2016","B.537:4-2016","B.537:5-2016","B.537:6-2016","B.537:7-2016","B.537:8-2016","B.537:9-2016","B.537:10-2016","B.537:11-2016","B.537:12-2016","B.537:13-2016","B.537:14-2016","B.537:15-2016","B.537:16-2016","B.537:17-2016","B.537:18-2016","B.537:19-2016","B.537:20-2016","B.537:21-2016","B.537:22-2016","B.537:23-2016","B.537:24-2016","B.537:25-2016","B.537:26-2016","B.537:27-2016","B.537:28-2016","B.537:29-2016","B.537:30-2016","B.537:31-2016","B.537:32-2016","B.537:33-2016","B.537:34-2016","B.537:35-2016","B.537:36-2016","B.537:37-2016","B.537:38-2016","B.537:39-2016","B.537:40-2016","B.537:41-2016","B.537:42-2016","B.537:43-2016","B.537:44-2016","B.537:45-2016","B.537:46-2016","B.537:47-2016","B.537:48-2016","B.537:49-2016","B.537:50-2016","B.537:51-2016","B.537:52-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"537","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-10","recordCreationDate":"2017-01-19","availableToBook":false}}