An Indian ivory chess set
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An Indian ivory chess set

POSSIBLY BERHAMPUR, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Details
An Indian ivory chess set
Possibly Berhampur, first half 19th century
One side stained red, the opposing green, some restorations
The king -- 4¼in. (10.5cm.) high; the pawn -- 2in. (5cm.) high
Provenance
Amos Smith Collection, Christie's London, 18 June 1979.
Stamford University, California (ex. Paul Hanna Collection).
Special notice
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 is subject to Collection and Storage charges

Lot Essay

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
Michael Mark, Antique Indian Chess Sets, Förderkreis Schach-Gechichtsforschung e.v., August 1997, page 45.
This lot is comparable to sets attributed to Murshidabad and neighbouring Berhampur, in the Bengal area relatively close to Calcutta. In the 18th century Murshidabad had been the seat of the Nawab dynasty, and possibly attracted migrating ivory carvers from Delhi, and after the decline of the Mogul court, who continued to produce ornate pieces for the increasing numbers of British and the Raj. Berhampur was established by the British as a barrack town in 1765 after the Battle of Plassey and during the 19th century became to be considered the superior producers of ivory carvings.

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