An intriguing early circa 1878/1880 pine-boxed French lawn tennis set, the rustic pine box, stencilled T-3, measures 100 by 30 by 13cm., and contains

An intriguing early circa 1878/1880 pine-boxed French lawn tennis set, the rustic pine box, stencilled T-3, measures 100 by 30 by 13cm., and contains four racquets, two extremely rare and early tennis balls, a pair of two part varnished pine posts with round finials, eight stakes, a pine handled skewer, a string bag to hold balls, four guy-ropes with wooden adjusters, and a quantity of twine (presumably to repair the net), unfortunately the net is missing The set contains four very early and rare square-headed lawn tennis racquets, originally discovered at a convent in France. The racquets being a little narrower and shorter than standard racquets, 63 by 18.5cm., because the manufacturers would have had to supplied at least four rackets in the set, with posts, guy ropes, mallets etc., all of which would have had to fit inside a closed box. The two piece poles to the set give the date away. From the finial to the line inscribed around the post (showing how far that they should be inserted into the ground) they measure 4 feet 9 inches in height, and therefore the date of the set must relate to the period circa 1878/1880, before the posts were reduced to 4 feet. The handles of the rackets are smooth and round with two slim leather bands added at the top of the handle pieces and at the butt-end. Several lateral strings are broken and they have 7 rows of red trebling strings. The balls are fascinating in their construction, and must be some of the earliest examples in existence, both of them have suffered as a result of the attentions of rodents, the most complete example is less than 2 inches in diameter, and consists of a rubber core (made from the adhesion of two half ball moulds - now perished to a rock-hard consistency) covered with kid leather and a fine hand-sewn seam. All in all a rare and desirable example of a really early French lawn tennis set.