If you were fortunate enough to be a member of the Medici court five centuries ago, you might spend your evenings playing a game of Goose. The amusement, considered one of the world’s first mass-produced boardgames, entailed rolling dice and moving pieces around a spiralling path, with the aim of being the first to reach its centre, while avoiding medieval hazards like wells, prison and death. Winning, of course, required a pinch of luck.
Ginori 1735, the Italian porcelain-maker, has been in business for nearly as long as the game of Goose – and for its latest collection of tableware and objects, the company wanted its customers to quite literally try their luck. Called Fortunae, the collection draws directly from early Goose boards, which featured auspicious illustrations of lucky charms, in addition to depictions of the game’s namesake waterfowl.
Ginori's offering includes an array of functional objects that are inspired by fortuitous symbols around the world. There’s an ashtray, bordered in lucky red glaze, that features a horseshoe illustration; dessert plates printed with a cornicello, the horn-shaped amulet that wards off the evil eye; and a small oval box topped with a celadon-glazed dragonfly, a good omen in many cultures.
Others items have more literal references to the game of Goose, as with one whimsical jar illustrated with a posy of four-leaf clovers and topped with an adorable gander-shaped lid. The centrepieces of the collection is a round tray can doubles as a resting place for trinkets or teacups, as well as an elegant board for your very own medieval dice game.
Fortunae arrives just in time for gifting season, but is perfect year-round for anyone in need of a wish or a bit of luck. But we wouldn’t judge if you wanted to hoard these pretty talismans for yourself – fortune, after all, favours the bold.
