Pair of Antique Petanque (or Boules) Balls oak splint which has holes drilled at

which has holes drilled at the center of either long side

There is some loss of stain along edges of the carving

" an international exposition at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair

This beautiful vintage Japanese lacquer box

Late 19th/early 20th century I believe and very lovely

Pair of Antique Petanque (or Boules) Balls oak splint which has holes drilled atI've always got an eye out for old handmade petanque boules balls, but these are the first that I've found, French and dating to the late 19th century I believe. These were made manually by hammering steel (and in this case one brass on each) nails into olive wood balls, one by one, which I understand then required several years to properly cure. Beautifully crafted and wonderfully tactile, each of these weighs nearly two pounds. Approx 3 1 2" in