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Lot Essay
Such was the fashion for ebony in 17th century Europe that cheaper imitations, usually in the form of stained or ebonized pearwood, began to appear at an early stage; from about 1625, Augsburg makers stamped their pieces with the word 'Eben' in order to guarantee the material.
The present board displays many characteristics of similar ivory and ebony games boards of the period which are often attributed to the atelier of the Augsburg cabinet maker Ulrich Baumgartner (c.1580-1652).
Comparative Literature: Hans and Siegfried Wichmann Chess, New York, 1964, No.s 102-105; Wilfried Aeipel Spielwelten der Kunst Kunstkammerspiele, Vienna, 1998, No.79; a further folding board sold in these rooms 25 June 1997, lot 694.
The present board displays many characteristics of similar ivory and ebony games boards of the period which are often attributed to the atelier of the Augsburg cabinet maker Ulrich Baumgartner (c.1580-1652).
Comparative Literature: Hans and Siegfried Wichmann Chess, New York, 1964, No.s 102-105; Wilfried Aeipel Spielwelten der Kunst Kunstkammerspiele, Vienna, 1998, No.79; a further folding board sold in these rooms 25 June 1997, lot 694.