This is an English or Scottish mid Victorian carpet ball used for indoor bowling, like lawn bowling inside.

The antique carpet ball was made of kiln baked clay with was then glazes with a navy of cobalt blue glaze then hand decorated with a star stencil. The ball measures 3 inches in diameter.

The ball has seen considerable use, hence the chipping, which is quire normal for age and material.

The balls were most popular from the 1830s through the 1870s and featured various colorful patterns of stripes, plaids, solids, stars, bulls eyes, etc.

In the 1980s and 1990s when we opened our first antique store, we sold as many as we could bring back from England on our annual buying trip. They are quite hard to find now though.

The ball itself weigs a pound, so shipping will be a bit more.

Carpet balls are wonderful on a table, bookshelf or arrangement of curios. They have often been seen in decorating magazines, especially Victoria magazine.