Eight Sided 19th Century Treen Teetotem tempera painting I'm sure there were once

I'm sure there were once more blocks in this set

but often one finds them with a loss at one side that keeps them from working properly--not the case here

which make for a nice grip

Painted with a big mossy green horseshoe on each side--I might guess by using the actual horseshoes as templates

which emits a really nice glow when lit

Eight Sided 19th Century Treen Teetotem tempera painting I'm sure there were onceI've had a couple of these carved of bone, but this is the first treen (hardwood) example I've found, British I presume, and I believe earlier than later 1800s. My photos aren't great, but it a lovely thing, with black inked numbers in each side, written in just the same manner as on early 19th century bone ones, so I do believe of that age. Used in the 18th and 19th century for games including "Put and Take," and often as substitutes for dice