Ganzenbord, ca. 1830 1820 - 1850

This ‘Game of the Goose’ board, from around 1830, was printed anonymously in Nuremberg. You can see that the design is made using intaglio, a process where an image is incised into a metal plate, then inked and pressed onto paper. The addition of color by hand gives the print a lively feel. But beyond its visual appeal, this board is interesting as a document of popular culture. The "Game of the Goose" was one of the first commercially produced board games. This suggests that the print wasn't just about artistic expression, but also about production, distribution and consumption. If you look closely, you can see how the game replicates social situations. Players encounter inns, bridges, wells, prisons, and other places that mirror real-life encounters and challenges. In this way, it can be seen to reflect the values and experiences of the people who played it.