Early Large Single-soled Curling Stone With Hoop Handle

About the Item

Early Antique Granite Curling Stone. A very large and fine example of an early single-soled curling stone with a forged iron metal handle. The metal handle is permanently fixed with lead into holes bored into the top of the stone. There is a beautiful roughness to the stone, it is certainly a collectors piece, being larger than the normal stones, also a very decorative piece and a fantastic door stop. The height of the stone is 18 cm without the handle, circumference 93 cm. The second image with the two curling stones is to illustrate the size of this large stone, the price indicated is only for the early large stone. The second stone (stock No. 29822) is a standard size late 19th or early 20th century single-soled curling stone. It is priced at £725. The exact origins of curling are unclear but it is known to have a long history in Scotland, and it was through Scottish immigrants that the game of curling spread to other parts of the world. Early curling was an out door sport that was played on frozen lochs and ponds. Because of the unpredictable weather artificial curling rinks were being made to make a little frost go a long way. Concrete rinks were flooded with small amounts of water so they would freeze solid after a night of frost, thus having a rink to play on when the frozen lochs or ponds were unsafe. The first Curling Clubs were formed in Scotland as were the first rules to standardize curling and its equipment. The Grand Caledonian Curling Club was founded in Edinburgh in 1838, they formally adopted these new rules and became the sport's governing body. They heavily supported the use of round granite stones and rather than eight players each throwing a single stone it changed to a team of four players using two matched stones each. Four years later, in 1843, Her Majesty Queen Victoria so fascinated by the game demonstrated on the polished floor of the ballroom of Scone Palace near Perth she granted the Club the title of Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Curling was firmly established in Canada by the Scots with The Royal Montreal Curling Club being established in 1807, the oldest sports club still active in North America.

Dimensions:

Height: 9.06 in (23 cm)Diameter: 11.42 in (29 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Granite

Place of Origin:

Scotland

Period:

Early 19th Century

Date of Manufacture:

Early 19th Century

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. See images for damage on the stone.