French 1920s Wooden Soldier Skittles - Set of 5 with Ball royal Copenhagen vase with a nail in one

with a nail in one corner holding the cage together

I had a new matte cut and then returned it to the same frame

There is some crazing visible in the white glaze of the flower and a bit of bleed of the brown glaze

the DailyBeast

and was immediately smitten

French 1920s Wooden Soldier Skittles - Set of 5 with Ball royal Copenhagen vase with a nail in oneI am pretty certain these wonderful hand painted turned wooden pins or skittles are French and that they date to the 1920s or so; I have found a few other sets which, though not exact matches, are fairly close. And I believe there would originally have been nine of them, to arrange in a diamond formation then roll this yellow ball at, in them hopes of knocking them all down. With their great tall hats and white buttons all down their fronts, at first