Summary

Made: Yo Ho Enterprises Australia Pty.Ltd., PO Box 1087, Kenmore, Queensland., 1996
Obtained from Yo Ho Enterprises by Susan Barnett for the Springvale Historical Society's 'World of Games' exhibition in 1997. Donated to the Australian Children's Folklore Collection at the conclusion of the exhibition.
The Australian Children's Folklore Collection is unique in Australia, documenting contemporary children's folklore across Australia and in other countries reaching back to the 1870s. The Collection has a strong component of research material relating to Victoria.
Diabolo was and is, a popular game among Chinese jugglers. It was introduced to English society in the late eighteenth century by Lord Macartney, the ambassador to China. The game was particularly popular in France in the early 1800s, where an improved version of the game was named 'diabolo'. It is related to yo-yo's and has similar cycles of popularity or 'crazes' among school children.

Physical Description

Large red and yellow plastic diabolo set, professional size, still attached to original cardboard packing sheet. The set consists of two pieces of unfinished, smooth dowel with rounded ends. A long piece of nylon cord is tied between the pieces of dowel. The diabolo is plastic, one half yellow with blue and the other red with green. It is formed from two cones put together at the narrowest end to form an hour-glass shape. The object of the game is to hold a stick in either hand and to balance the diabolo on the string, rolling it back and forth and throwing and catching it. These three pieces are mounted on a piece of brightly coloured cardboard, containing information and instructions for the game. Acknowledgement: Australian Children's Folklore Collection, Museum Victoria.

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