Caich Leather balls

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Caich was a ball game. A progenitor of fives, caich was played between two individuals or teams of equal numbers. The object was to drive the ball against a wall so that at the end of a rally, the winners were those who had struck it furthest from the wall. Caich died out on the East Coast of Scotland about 1850. There were various forms of games in which players used their palms to strike a ball against a wall: all called caich. It depended on having a ball which was stuffed so tightly with straw, rags or feathers that it bounced.

These two leather balls were found in a hole in a wall during building work being carried out in Advocates Close in Edinburgh. The balls could date from between 1600 and 1800. The balls are hand-sewn and stuffed with straw.

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• Online ID: 000-100-103-137-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.1995.226
• Date: 1600 - 1800
  1600 - 1800
  Between 1600 and 1800
  
• Material: Leather
  Leather
  Ball
  Ball
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Ball
  Ball
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Edinburgh (Advocates Close)
  Scotland, Edinburgh (Advocates Close)
  
• Event:
• Description: Leather ball found in a hole in a wall during building work being carried out in Advocates Close, Edinburgh, 1600 - 1800
  Leather ball found in a hole in a wall during building work being carried out in Advocates Close, Edinburgh, 1600 - 1800
  
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