Imperial German Schwarz Weiss Rot Boxed Roulette Game by J. W. Spear
This early twentieth-century German Gesellschaftsspiel (parlor game) is titled “Schwarz, Weiss, Rot oder Deutsches Roulette,” meaning “Black, White, Red, or German Roulette.” The game was manufactured by the Nürnberg firm J. W. Spear and Söhne and is housed in its original red paper-covered presentation box with a fitted purple-paper interior. The principal wooden roulette board measures approximately 8 inches in diameter. The box lid is decorated with an Imperial German tricolor flag rendered in horizontal black, white, and red bands. Its printed wording reads: “Das neue Spiel Schwarz, Weiss, Rot oder Deutsches Roulett.” This translates as: “The new game Black, White, Red, or German Roulette.” Below the title is the early horizontal lance trademark bearing the initials “J.W.S. and S. Nürnberg,” identifying J. W. Spear and Söhne of Nuremberg. The company’s name translates as “J. W. Spear and Sons.” The spelling “Roulett” on the box differs slightly from the “Roulette” spelling used on the instruction sheet, an inconsistency that reflects period commercial printing rather than necessarily indicating replacement material. The principal playing component is a circular turned-wood roulette board with a shallow dished surface and raised outer rim. Twelve applied numerals, numbered 1 through 12, form an inner ring. The numerals are painted in pale gray or white with dark blue outlining, producing a distinctly period graphic appearance. Around the perimeter are twelve wooden balls divided evenly among the three colors named in the title: four black, four white, and four red. The reverse of the board is fitted with three cylindrical wooden feet, elevating the playing surface above a table. A small central opening is present on the underside and appears associated with the original construction or operating arrangement. Also included are five square card-mounted Kreisel (spinner) devices. Each carries a circular printed field divided into alternating red and blue sectors, with white numbered spaces marked 1 through 6 and an additional space marked “A.” A centrally mounted metal pointer rotates over each printed field. The five spinners display matching construction, typography, and coloring, with minor variations in the resting positions of their pointers. Their presence indicates that the set permitted several related games or scoring arrangements rather than functioning solely as a reduced version of conventional casino roulette. The printed rules are mounted inside the lid beneath the heading: “Schwarz, Weiss, Rot oder Deutsches Roulette.” This translates as: “Black, White, Red, or German Roulette.” The opening portion of the instructions reads: “Eine beliebige Anzahl von Spielern kann sich bei diesem Spiele beteiligen. Bevor der Kreisel gedreht wird, werden die 12 Kugeln in die Mitte des Roulettes gelegt…” This translates as: “Any number of players may take part in this game. Before the spinner is turned, the 12 balls are placed in the center of the roulette…” The remaining text establishes conditions for selecting colors, scoring the balls according to where they fall, and continuing play by mutual agreement. Portions of the printed rules are presently obscured and cannot be transcribed in their entirety with sufficient certainty. The presence of the original instruction sheet nevertheless contributes materially to the historical integrity of the set and clarifies that the colored wooden balls were placed upon the board as part of play rather than being permanently attached decorative elements. J. W. Spear and Söhne was founded in Fürth in 1879 and became one of Germany’s better-known manufacturers of board games, parlor games, puzzles, construction sets, and printed amusements. Production expanded to Nürnberg near the end of the nineteenth century, and the firm marketed games both domestically and internationally. Its early products were frequently made from combinations of printed paper, cardboard, turned wood, painted wooden pieces, and modest metal fittings, all materials represented in this set. The horizontal lance trademark with the initials “J.W.S. and S.” was used by the company beginning around the turn of the twentieth century and continued in varying forms into the interwar period. The trademark, Nürnberg designation, decorative typography, hand-finished wooden components, and Imperial black, white, and red imagery support an early twentieth-century date. The set was likely produced during the later Kaiserreich, approximately 1900 to 1918, although no printed date or catalog number is present and manufacture shortly after 1918 cannot be entirely excluded. The colors named in the title were politically and culturally significant. Black, white, and red were the national colors of the German Empire from its establishment in 1871 through the end of the monarchy in 1918. They appeared on flags, military and naval insignia, commercial packaging, postcards, toys, and domestic objects. By adapting these colors into a game of chance, the manufacturer transformed nationally recognizable imagery into a form of middle-class domestic entertainment. The phrase “Deutsches Roulette” distinguished the product from standard French or casino roulette while giving it a specifically German identity. The set appears substantially preserved with the original box, wooden roulette board, twelve colored balls, five card spinners, and mounted instruction sheet. Absolute completeness cannot be certified without a period manufacturer’s inventory or catalog entry, but the surviving components form a coherent and usable group. The wooden roulette board exhibits expected handling wear, surface scratches, small abrasions, and darkened areas associated with age and play. The painted numerals remain legible, with scattered losses and wear to their surfaces and outlines. The colored wooden balls show rubbing, discoloration, and small paint losses. One red ball has a more noticeable chip exposing the lighter material beneath its painted surface. A section of the raised wooden rim has broken away. The detached piece remains with the game and appears suitable for careful reattachment with an appropriate conservation adhesive. It has been left separate rather than subjected to an undocumented repair. Adjacent wood shows cracking, splintering, and exposed grain around the damaged area. The reverse retains all three wooden feet, with surface wear and darkening to their ends. The cardboard spinner boards exhibit age toning, corner and edge wear, light creasing, minor warping, and scattered surface marks. Their printed red, blue, black, and cream colors remain readily discernible. The metal pointers and central fittings are present, with oxidation and age-related dulling. The instruction sheet has yellowed and shows creases, small stains, edge wear, and localized splitting. The red exterior box covering displays abrasion, corner wear, small losses, separation along portions of the edges, and general evidence of long-term storage. The purple interior paper remains largely present but has tears, lifting, and wear at the corners and along the internal partitions. This is a historically informative example of German domestic gaming culture from the closing decades of the Kaiserreich. Its Imperial color symbolism, early J. W. Spear trademark, turned-wood construction, surviving instructions, and multiple original playing components give it significance beyond that of an isolated roulette wheel. The retained broken wooden section should permit a sympathetic repair while preserving the original material.