Cup-and-ball (or ball in a cup) is a traditional children's toy consisting of a wooden cup with a handle, and a ball attached to the cup by a string.It is popular in Spanish-speaking countries, where it is called "boliche".A variant game, Kendama, known in English as Ring and Pin, is popular in Japan.The game had its golden age during the reign of Louis XV - among the upper classes people owned baleros made of ivory.Actors also sometimes appeared with them in scenes.The game was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.In fact Jean-Jacques Rousseau mentions the game early in his Confessions when stating his reservations about idle talk and hands, saying (in trans."