The game of ball and jacks

Factual Questions
1

I read a quote the other day that mentioned that kids in ancient Egypt played “knucklebones” with sheep toe bones. The game of knucklebones led to dice games for boys, and jacks, usually played with a wooden ball, for girls.

It’s been on my mind since. Because as a kid I often wondered about the shape of the jacks. Why 4 rounded points and two sharp ones? See here: (https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2021/08/jacks_0.png)

Were these jacks designed for the game or were they already used for something else and were just co-opted into the game of jacks?

When were they first made and by whom (in the above mentioned form)?

2

The closest answer I could find is ‘we don’t know’.

It is unclear when the six pronged shape of Jacks came about

I do kind of wonder if they came about because, I’m guessing, it’s an easy shape to manufacture. With points instead of balls on two ends, it can be done with a two part mold.

3

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