Summary

Skipping rope of unknown provenance, purchased by Museum Victoria in 1989. It is likely to date to the mid-20th century.

The earliest written record of skipping comes from 6th century China. Skipping has been established as a children's game since the 7th century. In earlier centuries it was played by adults as well as children, and by males as well as females. Gradually it came to be regarded as a girls' game, and in the 1990s it is still played mainly by girls, although boys sometimes join in the game when it is in progress. In America, skipping is known as Jump Rope. The ropes can be any kind of suitable material - a length of rope, a plastic tube, even vines or hop-stems have been used, and the use of a loosely twisted duck net by Aboriginal people has been documented from the Lower Murray River. The game is usually accompanied by rhymes, which are chanted or sung to the rhythm of the rope.

Physical Description

Skipping rope with blue and gold wooden handles. The handles are shaped to fit into the palm of the hands.

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