Dominoes first appeared during the 12th century in Asia (China, Korea and India) as a recreational game, while the oldest set of dominoes in Europe dates back to the 18th century. The game is played with a set of small rectangular blocks, with a line dividing each block into two equal, square ends. Each end is marked with a number of dots between one and six. The players place their blocks according to their colour and the number of dots. The first player to get rid of all their blocks wins.
The two wooden domino sets displayed in the small museum of the ‘Nea Sinasos’ Association were brought to Greece by exchangeable refugees. Choosing to carry a game on a journey of displacement, alongside more practical and valuable items, might appear incomprehensible to us, especially since we don’t know who the original owners were or, most importantly, why they made this choice. However, at the same time, it highlights how even under the most adverse conditions, like forced displacement and population exchange, there were people who chose to salvage a game, an item associated with carefree living, relaxation and entertainment.
