Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more

It is a highly respected universal game of strategy, order and conflict. Admired and played by rulers and kings through the centuries. It evolved from 6th Century India and 7th Century Central Asia, spreading to be played in the Tudor court, to Napoleonic Europe and to the present. It is also of wider cultural significance reflecting not only history, but also artistic workmanship and the status of the patron. There were some magnificent early collections of chess sets, one unsurpassable example was gathered by Duke August II Brunswick-Lüneburg (1579-1666), who so admired the game and its artistic virtues he wrote a book on chess in 1616, Chess or the King's Game, under the pseudonym Gustavus Selenus. His collection partly remains in the Anton Ulrich museum, Brunswick. The early sets that survive were not made for play but contemplation, to be admired as part of the concept of the kuntskammer in the sixteenth and seventieth centuries. Chess playing became popular in the bourgeoisie homes, coffee houses and taverns of Europe towards the latter half of the 18th Century, throughout the 19th Century and beyond. Many examples in this section reflect this period and display regional cultural differences. They also reveal a prevailing desire of the collector or chess player to admire iconographical works of art (see lots 280 and 292 ). These pieces are rich in artistic merit as well as reflecting this ancient game of strategic intelligence, a fitting asset for the 21st Century.

AN ENGLISH TURNED IVORY CHESS SET

PROBABLY BY CALVERT, SECOND QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Details

AN ENGLISH TURNED IVORY CHESS SET
PROBABLY BY CALVERT, SECOND QUARTER 19TH CENTURY
One side stained red, the other natural, the kings with Maltese crosses and the queens with feather finials, bishops with open mitres, knights as horses' heads and rooks as turrets
The king - 3¾ in. (9.5 cm.) high; the pawn -- 1 5/8 in. (4 cm.) high

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. This lot will be removed to an off-site warehouse at the close of business on the day of sale - 2 weeks free storage

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

A set of comparable design with stamped box and label from the Calvert workshops was sold, Christie's London, 27 November 2007, lot 507.
John Calvert was a Master of the Worshipful Company of Turners (1819), and leading chess maker of his day. This workshop operated from 1790 and continued until 1835, after Calvert's death in 1825. After this time it was run by his widow, Dorothy, who continued selling stock until circa 1840.

More from Christie's Interiors - Style and Spirit

View All