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Lot Essay
A very similar knight chesspiece is in the Louvre, Paris (Kühnel, Ernst: Die Islamischen Elfenbeinskulpturen, Berlin, 1971, no.11, p.29 and pl.V). Both are smaller than some of the better known larger pieces with similar decoration, (the Paris example is 5.3cm. high), both lack the horizontal engraved bands around the foot seen on most other chesspieces of this type, and have rosettes on the shoulder. The immediately noticeable charming feature of the present piece is the two circles on the head, which we immediately take to be eyes. Both the Paris piece and a larger knight in Boston (Kühnel, op.cit. no.10A, pl.V) have only a single concentric roundel in the head. The larger knights in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Kühnel, op.cit., no.10, pl.V) and in the British Museum (Contadini, Anna: "Islamic ivory chess pieces, draughtsmen and dice", in Allan, James (ed.): Islamic Art in the Ashmolean, part one, Oxford, 1995, fig.47, p.134) have damaged heads and therefore the decoration cannot be clearly read.
Larger examples of the same style of abstract chesspieces have been sold in London, in these Rooms 11 April 2000, lot 318, and at Sotheby's, 30 April 1998, lot 1. The note to the previous example sold here discusses the group further and gives references to a number more examples, both in ivory and in other materials.
Larger examples of the same style of abstract chesspieces have been sold in London, in these Rooms 11 April 2000, lot 318, and at Sotheby's, 30 April 1998, lot 1. The note to the previous example sold here discusses the group further and gives references to a number more examples, both in ivory and in other materials.