Het nieuw vermakelijk / ganzenspel 1828 - 1933

Editor: Here we have "Het nieuw vermakelijk / ganzenspel," or "The New Amusing Game of Goose," dating from 1828-1933. It's an engraving and watercolor on paper. The overall design reminds me of a children's board game, something simple yet engaging. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: I am drawn to the game's layout and iconography. Notice how the geese are placed at strategic points along the path. Geese have a long symbolic history. How might geese be acting as signifiers of good fortune or perhaps folly within the game's cultural context? Editor: Good fortune or folly, that's an interesting contrast! I see that some spaces aren't geese but little scenes. There’s a little tavern with people seated at a table and something that looks like a prison. Curator: Precisely! Each image likely signifies a different instruction or penalty within the rules. This relates directly to cultural memory—shared stories and common knowledge shape a collective understanding of these symbols. The game is more than just a pastime; it’s a vehicle for transmitting cultural values. Editor: So playing the game, you’d learn not just the rules but also something about society and its expectations? Curator: Indeed. Consider how games, like religious iconography or folklore, create continuity in culture, helping preserve common experiences and attitudes. It is through images like these that we understand values of the time. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Seeing it as more than just a game really changes my perspective! Curator: I agree. By tracing how images persist and shift, we can understand what remains significant to the culture through time.