The Antique Real Tennis Racquet

Manuf.:    Maîtres Paumiers

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Model:      Antique Real Tennis Racquet

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Spec.:        Solid, treblings, historically restored

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Year:          1789

(documented or estimated)

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Background facts:

By the late eighteenth century, real tennis, known in France as jeu de paume, was deeply embedded in Parisian society. Between 1550 and 1700, there were no fewer than 250 courts of various shapes and sizes in Paris alone. The game was played by all social classes, from royalty to commoners. In June 1789, one of these courts, the Salle du Jeu de Paume at Versailles, became the stage for a pivotal event in world history: the Tennis Court Oath. Here, deputies of the Third Estate swore not to separate until a constitution had been established for France, marking the symbolic beginning of the French Revolution.

The Antique real tennis racquet from the end of the 18th century features the classic lopsided head, with a pronounced downward angle. The frame is made of solid wood. The stringing uses the trebling technique, with cross strings looped 360 degrees around the main strings, creating a dense and durable mesh. The handle is wrapped with a leather band.​

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This design became the standard for real tennis racquets and remained virtually unchanged for the next two hundred years.