LATE 19TH CENTURY

Details

A CAMBODIAN CARVED IVORY AND COWRIE SHELL CHESS SET
LATE 19TH CENTURY
The kings, queens, bishops rooks as turned pieces, the knights carved as horses' heads, the pawns as shells, one side stained brown
The king -- 2in. (5cm.) high; the pawn -- 1in. (2.5cm.) wide

Provenance

Phillips, New Bond Street, London, 26 May 1992, lot 130A.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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Lot Essay

Cambodian and Thai sets often use the cowrie shell to represent the pawn. The knight is also a significant piece, carved as the horses' head, indicative of Western influence. The other pieces remain abstract, in particular the queen who is reduced in size and stature on the board. See, Asian Games; The Art of Contest, edited by Colin Mackenzie and Irving Finkel, published by the Asia Society, 2004, page 165, fig. 12:33 for a 19th Century example.

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