FRANCE
19th-century Antique French Chess Set
An antique 19th-century French chess set. It resembles a Dieppe set, but according to my research, it appears to be more of a ‘Paris school’ set. These sets, made at the time in the capital by artists and artisans, are rarer and can be much more sophisticated than those from Dieppe. The pieces exhibit unimaginable sophistication and refinement. They depict medieval characters.
The knights are mounted on ‘hobby horse’ style horses and are very intricately crafted. The bishops are represented by royal jesters; during the anti-clerical wave in France, between the late 18th and first half of the 19th century, bishops, which typically represented the church, were replaced by royal jesters on chess sets. Half of the pieces are white, and the other half are stained with a pronounced beige. Black has also been added to the white side to help distinguish them. The pieces come in a magnificent, very imposing leather case with velvet lining and a gold monogram topped with a crown. It features individual storage compartments for the pieces. Such a case is extremely rare for a set from this period.
The king measures 9.5 cm high
The knights measure 8.5 cm
The pawns measure 6.3 cm
The case measures 35 cm wide and 25 cm deep.
The pieces are in excellent condition, with no damage except for insignificant small chips on the rooks.
The case is in good condition but no longer closes; it still has its key, but the mechanism is broken.
The set belonged for several generations to the Lavi family in Switzerland, in the canton of Vaud. However, after consulting with heraldists about the monogram on the box, it was possible to determine that it initially belonged to a count before being acquired by the Lavi family.
The crown above the monogram, with its open points adorned with pearls, is the distinctive and recognizable sign of a count’s title.
The monogram letters are ‘PF’.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine which count the set belonged to based on these two letters alone, as they could correspond to a name, a domain name, or the intertwining of two married individuals’ names.
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Lyon
18th Century French Lyon Chess Set
French Lyon chess set in wood and bone.
The king measures 7.7 cm with a 2.7 cm base.
This style of set had a rather short lifespan and was not produced in large quantities at the time. They are therefore difficult to find.
As the name indicates, this style originated in the city of Lyon. Its creation is estimated to have occurred after the reign of King Louis XIV, and it disappeared with the French Revolution.
The date of creation of the set is therefore approximately between 1720 and 1789.
The style combines bone and wood in a very refined and elegant manner. The design is truly exquisite.
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Leave a Reply
Regency
Lardy
Chavet
Germany & Austria
Antique German Chess Set, Early 18th to Late 17th Century
Antique German Chess Set, Early 18th to Late 17th Century
An extremely ancient German bone chess set, undoubtedly the oldest set I have personally handled.
These characteristic archaic knights date the set to the early 18th century, or even the late 17th.
The set is between 300 and 350 years old, no more, no less.
For this model, you can also refer to Hans Czihak’s collection presented on the Beauty of Chess website, where an identical set appears and is also dated to this period.
The set was meticulously hand-carved from bone.
The bases and collars can be unscrewed.
The king measures 9 cm with a 2.2 cm base.
One truly remarkable aspect is the state of preservation in which I found the set. All elements are present, and there is very little damage. Everything has remained intact apart from one knight’s ear that broke off, and a few pieces that have been re-glued: two pawns and one knight re-glued to its stem. There is some discoloration, notably on one of the pawns.
This German set exudes a fascinating blend of archaism and sophistication. Something both primitive and refined. The knights have an arched shape, and their faces are made of almost tribal striations skillfully and ingeniously arranged to illustrate their features.
The king, queen, and bishops have serrated collars and stems adorned with a multitude of small flutes; their design is simple and repetitive yet very meticulous in its execution.
The rooks have a very harmonious shape with a silo-like body and circles of serrated spikes on top.
A marvel from an almost lost era of chess, very little information is available about these sets, and they are extremely rare to find in books and online.
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Leave a Reply
ITALY
Anri
Anri Toriart Musketeers Chess Pieces
Anri Toriart Musketeers Chess Pieces
A rare and sophisticated model from the Italian house Anri Toriart.
The Musketeers set, hand-carved from Alpine maple wood and hand-painted. It dates from the 1960s.
This is a set from their large-scale models.
The king measures 13.7 cm, with a 5.1 cm base.
The pawns measure 10.4 cm with a 4.9 cm base.
The pieces are weighted and felted; the two Anri Toriart stamps, “hand crafted and hand painted by Anri Italy,” can still be found on the bases of the king and queen.
The design is highly sought-after and original, inspired by 17th-century France, the monarchy, and the musketeers.
The finishes are extremely advanced, both in the woodwork and the meticulous painting. The patina of the pieces has been beautifully aged by time.
Everything in this set is of great refinement and beauty. However, the abundance of detail and finishing does not prevent the set from exuding a handcrafted impression and character.
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Leave a Reply
Dolfi
Murano
United Kingdom
Minty 4.7" club Ayres
Minty 4.7″ club Ayres
Unpacking this one was a pleasant surprise, as you never know exactly what you will receive when buying at an online auction. Hartleys auctioneers were exemplary in their communication, packing, and timely delivery.
The pieces look almost unplayed, with the finish and felts in very good condition. This set is slightly larger than the Jaques club set in my collection.
Knight tops are all made of boxwood. The dark pieces are made of ebony. The kings weigh in at 137/117 g. The light king has a boxwood lean.
The carving of the knights rivals that of contemporary Jaques sets. This level of carving could indicate that it is an earlier Ayres set, probably pre-1900s.
© Bram Ueffing
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Leave a Reply
English Staunton
Old English – St George
Dublin
Netherlands
18th Century Dutch Chess Set
18th Century Dutch Chess Set
An 18th century Dutch set.
Crafted in the pure and classic Dutch style, the pieces are carved from boxwood and topped with bulb-shaped ornaments turned from bovine bone.
This one is large, with the king measuring 10.7 cm with a 3.1 cm base.
As far as Dutch sets are concerned, these are generally the largest sizes that can be found. The tallest examples can reach 11 cm, but no more.
It is in very good condition, with no damage, except for insignificant wear marks and very small missing bits on the tips of some of the knights’ ears.
The pieces are very fine and elegant, delicately carved, with an antique aura and a patina aged by time.
The design of the rooks is very elaborate and fascinating.
The knights, with their arched heads and long, slender silhouettes, have an expression of solemnity and nobility that I have never seen in a chess set.
Écrire / voir les commentaires
Leave a Reply
Central / Eastern Europe
Original set from the IX Chess Olympiad in Dubrovnik, 1950
Original set from the IX Chess Olympiad in Dubrovnik, 1950
It is a great privilege to be able to unearth this set and share it with you today. I couldn’t believe it when I opened the shipping box and found this treasure. It still has to sink in!
The set came to me from Germany. Whoever the previous owner was, he/she preserved it very well!
You can read more about the history of the 1950 tournament and its chess sets on Izmet Fekali’s fantastic blog:
© Bram Ueffing