Hand carved Skull Billiard Ball set

No game in history has a more storied past than billiards. Since its rich history beginning in the 15th century, it has had many notable enthusiasts including musicians, writers, royals, politicians, generals, and professional players. For some, the game provided relief. Mozart used it to quell the constant stream of music running through his head while Abraham Lincoln favored it as a distraction from his heavy responsibilities. For others, it was a symbol of prestige. Louis the XIV of France embraced the game and before long it was being played in almost every Paris café by commoners looking to elevate their status. The game was considered a creative activity by writers like Mark Twain and Lewis Carroll; a strategic activity by generals like George Washington and George Armstrong Custer, and a sport by professionals like Minnesota Fats, who was immortalized in the 1961 movie, “The Hustler.” Yet, every player who has squared off against an opponent over the green felt of a billiard table has put their viewpoint aside to engage in “gamesmanship” – a practice that can best be described as the art of winning.

Each billiard ball is an individual, one-of-a-kind work of art carved with exceptional detail

This week’s New Arrival features a hand carved set of billiard balls; except the balls are not perfectly round and although they may have once been played they are no longer capable of rolling, at least in some sort of predictable fashion as originally intended. Look closely and you’ll quickly see that each pastel colored ball has been meticulously carved into the shape of a human skull, its number preserved on the top of the cranium. Even the cue ball gleams bright and white, its role preserved as the leader of the group. Skulls have been described as the “ultimate architecture,” which is fitting since they seem to live on long after we’re gone. Skulls are built to last, yet what do they have to do with billiards or gamesmanship? Is their appearance here just decoration? Perhaps these skull balls – now rendered unplayable – are meant to remind us that it matters not the victor, but how the game was played.

(Product SOLD)