A German ivory and ebony Reynard the Fox pattern chess set, third quarter 19th century

Details
A German ivory and ebony Reynard the Fox pattern chess set, third quarter 19th century
The sides distinguished by ebony and ivory bases, all of cylindrical stepped form, the underside of the king pieces crudely incised with the monogram DL, some minor damages and losses, with an associated Anglo-Indian ivory veneered sandalwood casket, of rectangular form, the cover and sides veneered with foliate bands
the kings -- 3in. (7.6cm) high; the pawns -- 2 3/8in. (6cm) high; the casket -- 8 3/8in. (21.2cm) wide

Lot Essay

The pieces in the present set represent characters from Reynard the Fox in Goethe's version, 1793. There are some comparisons to that of illustrations by R. Rhan and A. Schleich executed between 1841-4 for Wilhelm von Kaulbach's text of that time. The king 'Noble' the lion; the queen, consort of 'Noble'; the bishops 'Reynard', 'Isengrim' the wolf and the bear 'Bruin'; knights rearing horses; the rooks turrets with the figure of 'Reynard', shown peering from a window, shielding his eyes; pawns, various further characters including 'Cousin Moneke'.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
Exhibition catalogue: Zug der Könige, Schachfiguren und Spiele aus vier Jahrhunderten, Ausstellung der Bayeriscen Vereinsbank und Chess Collectors International. München Palais Preysing, 10 Juni bis 6 August 1988. See pages 56-7, fig.60.
Exhibition catalogue: Schönes Schach, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, München, 11 Juni - 31 Juli 1988. Germanischen Nationalmusem, Nürnberg, 20 August - 2 Oktober 1988. Page 69, fig.53.
Hans and Siegfried Wichmann, Chess the Story of Chesspieces from Antiquity to Modern Times, Crown, New York 1960. Pages 318-9, see fig.188-9.

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