BERHAMPUR, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Details

AN ANGLO-INDIAN IVORY CHESS SET
BERHAMPUR, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY
The kings and queens with foliate capped finials above an acanthus tier and pierced gallery, on petal rimmed bases, the bishops with pierced mitres, knights as horses' heads and rooks as turrets with pierced windows and galleries surmounted by flags, the pawns as foot soldiers
The king -- 5 in. (12.8 cm.) high; the pawn -- 2¾ in. (7 cm.) high

Exhibited

Zug Der Könige, Chess Collectors Catalogue, München Palais Preysing, 1988, p.20, pl.10.
Hamburg Chess Exhibition, 2006.
Stille Schlachten Die spannendsten Schachspiele der Welt Leihgaben aus der Privatsammlung Thomas H. Thomsen, Deutschen Elfenbeinmuseum Erbach, 21 April - 16 September 2007.

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.

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Lot Essay

See Victor Keats, The Illustrated Guide to World Chess Sets, Batsford Ltd., plate 10 for a very similar set. Keats discusses these sets as 'Kashmir' sets with pawns portraying the old East India Company's (John) troops versus those of native rulers and princes.
This type has been attributed to Berhampur, in the Bengal area, relatively close to Calcutta. Berhampur was established by the British as a barrack town in 1765 after the Battle of Plassey. The settlement of the colonisers created a demand for skilled craftsman to produce export goods, encouraging many of the talented ivory carvers from Delhi to migrate south, subseqently the area became highly admired for its superior quality of carving.

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