History of Gasing

While the gasing is a spinning top unique to Singapore and Malaysia, tops have been played in countries all around the world for centuries. Tops have turned up in many archaeological sites, proving that they have been in existence since ancient times.

People in Asia made tops from a variety of objects, including conch shells, wood, seed pods and even iron. During the Song dynasty (960–1279) in China, court ladies were said to have played with tops made of ivory known as ch’en-ch’ien. In Japan, humming and whistling tops were popular.

The gasing was said to have been a popular game among the Malays since the time of the Melakan Sultanate (now the state of Malacca in Malaysia) in the 15th century. In the past, the game was usually played at the end of the rice harvest when farmers had more time on their hands.

In America, the peg top, which was spun like a gasing, became popular in the mid-1800s. These peg tops were handmade by their owners or by craftsmen known as top turners. By the 1900s, tops were also made using machines in factories.