Featured 19th Century American Treenware

Hi everyone,

I picked up this piece of 19th century treenware today. I have no idea what it was used for. It's very finely made of beautiful wood with a brass diamond-shaped label that reads "WM SUYDAM MAKER 65 NASSAU ST NEW YORK". It measures 7 1/2" high and is 4 1/2" wide at the ends. It is open all the way through. I found an 1887 article about a William Suydam of 65 Nassau St in the New York Times hinting that he was a bookie or flim-flam man (I don't have a NYT subscription, so I can't read the whole article). Has anyone seen an object like this? Could it have something to do with gambling? The name Suydam is Dutch. There were lots of Dutch people in NY in the 19th century. I've also found William Suydam who was in the Civil War from New Jersey, so maybe it was a common name. Thanks!

 

Seems to have sold card/gambling related items. This auction had a catalog from the company: https://issuu.com/potterauctions/docs/issuu_93120a40692273

There are some ads if you search google books.

 

Not an uncommon name at all. My family tree has quite a few Suydams, either as a surname or as a middle name. In the 50's both our house and my maternal grandparents' house bordered a huge Dutch farmhouse with equally large lot that was occupied by an elderly couple named Suydam.

 

Thank you for that link, Kronos. Fascinating collector's items. I had no idea. I didn't find anything that looks like this thing in their catalog, so I will do more research.

 

This is what it is ...
https://ciscosgallery.com/collections/drinking-gambling-tobaccina/products/dice-drop-ag0347

 

hitting , on all cylinders there Roaring !!!!!!

 

Thank you, Roaring!

 

Searching ... it's a roll of the dice ,
a game of chance .

 

THAT is one FASCINATING catalogue!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (But I didn't see the wooden thingie!)

 

then u must be playing wth ' loaded ' dice !!!

 

That auction had a catalogue from the company/person mentioned on the wood piece.

 

Beat me to it @Roaring.

 

Can anyone explain how such a dice drop is used?

 

It may be similar to this, except the player/dealer tosses the dice in the device.
https://vegasslots.net/blog/grand-hazard-chuck-a-luck/

This action calls them Hazard Horns ...
https://potterauctions.com/pdf/catalog_070_web.pdf

 

goes in one side...drops out the other...

 

Guess I blinked....a couple of times!!! Still a cool piece!